MIT Tech Review AIJun 15, 2026, 6:46 PMMichelle Kim

Why Do South Koreans Love AI So Much?

Original: Why do South Koreans love AI so much?

MIT Tech Review explores South Korea's exceptionally high embrace of AI in everyday public and consumer life.

South Korea has emerged as one of the world's most AI-integrated societies, with automated systems woven into daily infrastructure from airports to transit. A first-hand account from Seoul reveals how AI touchpoints — facial recognition at immigration, smart transit systems — feel routine rather than remarkable to locals. The piece examines the cultural, governmental, and industrial factors behind this outsized national appetite for AI.

MIT Technology Review's The Algorithm newsletter offers a first-person dispatch from Seoul investigating why South Korea has developed one of the world's most enthusiastic and pervasive relationships with artificial intelligence.

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Summaries are AI-generated; the original article is authoritative.