The Future of Cultural Diversity in the AI Era? 2026 Cultural Diversity Conference to Be Held

[Financial News] The 2026 Cultural Diversity Conference, which will explore ways to put cultural diversity into practice, will be held on the 22nd and 23rd at Ferrum Hall in Ferrum Tower, Jung District, Seoul.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Arts Council Korea on the 16th, the conference will be held under the theme “See Differently, Connect Anew.” Drawing on key content from the UNESCO Global Report published this year, it will examine the implications for cultural diversity policy in Korea.

Two sessions will be held on the first day, Thursday the 22nd. In “The New Landscape of Cultural Diversity: 2026 UNESCO Global Report,” Seong Sang-hwan, a professor in the Department of German Language Education at Seoul National University and chair of the second Cultural Diversity Committee; Jeong Bo-ram, an associate research fellow at the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute; and Lee Seong-min, an associate professor in the Department of Media and Visual Communication at Korea National Open University, will examine trends and challenges in cultural diversity policy at home and abroad. In “Creativity and Collaboration Across Borders,” media artist Kwon Byeong-jun and creative producer Park Ji-seon will explore imbalances and structural disadvantages that arise in artists’ mobility and collaboration, and discuss directions for transnational creative collaboration.
Three sessions will follow on the second day, Friday the 23rd. In “Creativity and Cultural Diversity in the AI Era,” designer Ryu Im-sang of Art Experience and Lee Hye-won, CEO of Gearii Immersive Studio, will discuss the choices and attitudes creators should consider in the generative AI era from a cultural diversity perspective. In “Diverse Voices and the Role of Creators,” documentary creator Jang Yun-mi and Lee Jeong-hwa, an editor on the international literature team at Minumsa Publishing Group, will examine the role of creators and producers in fostering cultural expression and participation by diverse groups. In “New Ways to Encounter Art,” Kim Seong-hwan, CEO of Media Namu, and Jo Gyeong-min, CEO of Moduui Chaek Podo Bookshop, will highlight the diversity of art distribution models and the sustainability of creation and distribution through collaboration between artists and citizens.
The works selected in the Cultural Diversity AI Video Content Competition will also be unveiled at the conference. Of the 187 entries submitted, 10 works in the general division and 8 in the youth division were selected following judging.
An official with the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service said, “This conference is an opportunity to examine changes in policy and the creative field from a cultural diversity perspective, covering everything from cultural diversity policies at home and abroad to artists’ mobility and collaboration, AI technology, the role of creators, and distribution. We hope it will be an opportunity for creators and producers to share the challenges they face in a changing environment and explore directions for their own practice.”
[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter