As artificial intelligence permeates society and industry, semiconductor platforms that minimize power consumption and intelligent robots are emerging as promising sectors, according to a new analysis. Experts say Korea must actively nurture these industries as AI-based breakthrough technologies are expected to determine national competitiveness.
The Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) on Monday announced its "Top 10 Promising Industries" for this year: intelligent edge system semiconductors, sensor-fusion intelligent displays, AI manned-unmanned teaming systems, autonomous agent AI, autonomous process platforms, humanoids, distributed energy storage systems, low-carbon manufacturing materials, bio-med data, and robotic mobility.
KIAT selects and announces promising industries annually to help Korean companies gain advantages in global competition. This year's selections span 10 industries across four sectors and eight fields under the theme "Era of Embedded Intelligence." The term refers to an age when AI becomes embedded throughout society, driving innovation from policy to daily life.
Intelligent edge system semiconductors are designed to perform low-power, high-performance computing and inference at the point of data generation. As generative AI proliferates, power consumption is projected to more than double from 460 TWh in 2022 to 1,000 TWh this year. Unlike cloud-based AI, edge AI can dramatically reduce unnecessary power consumed during data transmission.
Sensor-fusion intelligent displays enhance immersion by improving screen quality and connectivity in mobile and extended reality devices. Demand is expected to surge with the advent of spatial computing. Samsung Display currently leads the market with ultra-high-resolution OLEDoS technology reaching 10,000 nits.
AI technology is also expected to see broad application in transportation and defense. AI manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) involves multiple drones and robots autonomously collaborating on military operations. Competition between the United States and China is driving the global MUM-T market to grow at an annual rate of 13.8%, reaching $12.24 billion by 2032.
Intelligent robots with humanoid forms capable of performing various services are seen as accelerating workplace innovation. "The humanoid market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 47.9%, expanding to $34.12 billion by 2030," a KIAT official said. "However, as commercial applications spread, risks may emerge including backlash over low-skilled job displacement and liability issues in case of malfunctions."
KIAT also identified energy storage systems that stabilize power grids and bio-med data industries that safely manage biological data for medical applications as promising sectors.