AI · 2026-11-10
NVIDIA AI Day Seoul 2026 Opens, with Physical AI Partnerships in the Spotlight Despite Madison Huang’s Absence
NVIDIA’s biggest event in Korea, AI Day Seoul 2026, opened as scheduled, but there was a sense of disappointment on site after Madison Huang, the senior executive leading the company’s physical AI business, canceled her visit to Korea. The event highlighted partnership cases with LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, and Doosan Robotics, as well as the potential of physical AI in Korean manufacturing.
NVIDIA’s largest event in Korea, “NVIDIA AI Day Seoul 2026,” kicked off at COEX in Seoul for a two-day run. The event went ahead as planned, but there was some disappointment on the ground after Madison Huang, NVIDIA Omniverse and Robotics product marketing senior executive and one of the faces of the company’s physical AI and robotics business, canceled her trip to Korea.
According to NewsPim, Huang canceled her visit ahead of the event. NVIDIA did not disclose the specific reason for the cancellation. The report noted that industry observers saw the controversy surrounding CEO Jensen Huang as a possible factor, but that cannot be treated as the officially confirmed reason for the trip being called off.
Huang was introduced as someone who has worked with Korean companies in the areas of digital twins and robot simulation platforms. Reports also suggested that she had been scheduled to meet with government officials and companies during her visit. The public photo session and Q&A that had been planned for the day were canceled, and NVIDIA’s memorandum of understanding with Kakao Mobility on autonomous driving was held behind closed doors. That said, since Huang was not slated to speak in the official sessions, the event itself continued without disruption.
Attention on Korean manufacturing and physical AI
The keynote emphasized the connection between Korea’s manufacturing base and physical AI. Physical AI refers to AI that perceives and acts in the real world, such as robots or autonomous driving systems. Deeepu Talla, NVIDIA’s vice president of robotics and edge AI, said Korea could play an important role in the spread of physical AI, pointing to the country’s strengths in automotive, electronics, and heavy industry.
Examples of collaboration mentioned in the report included training robots for LG Electronics’ appliance production lines using NVIDIA’s simulation tools, as well as plans to build Hyundai Motor Group’s factories as digital twins to test robotic applications. Cooperation with Doosan Robotics was also mentioned, involving the simulation of a polishing process for automotive parts. A digital twin is a technology that recreates a real factory or piece of equipment in virtual space to test operations or tasks.
The event also covered agentic AI and AI infrastructure. NewsPim introduced NVIDIA’s strategy centered on its Nemotron open model, along with examples of domestic companies using related models and data. The overall program was organized around sessions for developers, businesses, and researchers.
Some attendees said the sessions were useful, but they were disappointed that an in-person meeting with Huang did not materialize. What stood out at this event was not only the absence of a well-known figure, but also NVIDIA’s presentation of Korean manufacturing capabilities as a key arena for physical AI applications and its disclosure of collaboration cases with local companies. That said, it remains to be seen what results these announced partnerships will actually deliver once they are put into practice and how those outcomes unfold over time.
Source: NewsPim
According to NewsPim, Huang canceled her visit ahead of the event. NVIDIA did not disclose the specific reason for the cancellation. The report noted that industry observers saw the controversy surrounding CEO Jensen Huang as a possible factor, but that cannot be treated as the officially confirmed reason for the trip being called off.
Huang was introduced as someone who has worked with Korean companies in the areas of digital twins and robot simulation platforms. Reports also suggested that she had been scheduled to meet with government officials and companies during her visit. The public photo session and Q&A that had been planned for the day were canceled, and NVIDIA’s memorandum of understanding with Kakao Mobility on autonomous driving was held behind closed doors. That said, since Huang was not slated to speak in the official sessions, the event itself continued without disruption.
Attention on Korean manufacturing and physical AI
The keynote emphasized the connection between Korea’s manufacturing base and physical AI. Physical AI refers to AI that perceives and acts in the real world, such as robots or autonomous driving systems. Deeepu Talla, NVIDIA’s vice president of robotics and edge AI, said Korea could play an important role in the spread of physical AI, pointing to the country’s strengths in automotive, electronics, and heavy industry.
Examples of collaboration mentioned in the report included training robots for LG Electronics’ appliance production lines using NVIDIA’s simulation tools, as well as plans to build Hyundai Motor Group’s factories as digital twins to test robotic applications. Cooperation with Doosan Robotics was also mentioned, involving the simulation of a polishing process for automotive parts. A digital twin is a technology that recreates a real factory or piece of equipment in virtual space to test operations or tasks.
The event also covered agentic AI and AI infrastructure. NewsPim introduced NVIDIA’s strategy centered on its Nemotron open model, along with examples of domestic companies using related models and data. The overall program was organized around sessions for developers, businesses, and researchers.
Some attendees said the sessions were useful, but they were disappointed that an in-person meeting with Huang did not materialize. What stood out at this event was not only the absence of a well-known figure, but also NVIDIA’s presentation of Korean manufacturing capabilities as a key arena for physical AI applications and its disclosure of collaboration cases with local companies. That said, it remains to be seen what results these announced partnerships will actually deliver once they are put into practice and how those outcomes unfold over time.
Source: NewsPim
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#NVIDIA AI Day Seoul 2026#physical AI in Korea#NVIDIA Korea event#LG Electronics robotics collaboration#Hyundai Motor Group digital twin#Doosan Robotics partnership#Kakao Mobility autonomous driving