Seoul ranks third in global AI city competitiveness, first in AI adoption and use

[Financial News] Seoul ranked third overall in an assessment of AI competitiveness among major cities worldwide. Its ability to put AI to practical use, particularly in business and public administration, was rated world-leading. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 22nd, Seoul placed third, after San Francisco and New York in the United States, in the 2026 AI City Index released by the UK’s The Observer. It ranked ahead of Beijing (fourth), Paris (fifth) and London (sixth).
The Observer, founded in 1791, is the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper. The AI City Index was launched for the first time this year, drawing on the assessment experience of Tortoise Media, which has published The Global AI Index evaluating countries’ AI competitiveness since 2019.
The assessment analyzed 50 indicators across three areas, including AI investment and innovation, and adoption and use, in 57 cities across 36 countries worldwide. Seoul ranked first in AI adoption and use.
The Observer cited as Seoul’s strengths its institutional foundations for expanding AI use in the public sector and its industry-academia collaboration system supporting technology adoption by small and medium-sized enterprises. It also identified sustained government-led investment and the semiconductor industry base in the Seoul metropolitan area as factors underpinning the city’s competitiveness.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is working to train 10,000 AI professionals annually and establish an AI fund worth 500 billion won. This year, it is setting up implementation frameworks for 61 AI administrative projects and expanding AI use in public services such as autonomous buses, care for vulnerable groups and flood-risk prediction.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, “I will ensure that the AI competitiveness Seoul has built up leads to business growth and an improved quality of life for residents,” adding, “I will strengthen talent development and business support, and expand opportunities for all young people to use AI, as I build Seoul into a global leading AI city that drives innovation in industry and everyday life.”

[email protected] Seong Chorong Reporter