As the scope of applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology expands beyond large language models (LLMs) to robots, cars, and manufacturing equipment, displays are taking on a bigger role, analysts said. With the opening of the "physical AI" era, in which AI that operated in digital space comes into the real world and acts, displays are evolving from simple visual output devices into "physical interfaces."
The Korea Display Industry Association held the "Display convergence industry outlook forum" on the 12th at EL Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the Korea Planning&Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT) and organized by the Korea Display Research Association and the Display Innovation Process Platform Project Group, the event reviewed technological changes seen at "CES 2026" and provided analysis of the display application market.
CES, held every January in Las Vegas, is the world's largest IT exhibition. This year's event unveiled a slew of humanlike humanoids and robots that can be applied to industrial sites. There were demonstrations of technology in which AI was integrated to carry out predetermined actions.
Experts who presented at the forum said an observable trend showed "displays expanding into a medium that links intelligent environments and humans." As the range of robot use broadens, situations in which they interact with humans are expected to increase, and displays are being used as devices to express emotions as a result. They also cited the rapid development of new business areas such as mobility, smart spaces, and Extended Reality (XR) as positive factors for the display industry's growth.
Lee Dae-eui, a partner (senior executive director) at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL), who presented under the theme "AI lives in everything that moves," said, "Robotics technology is moving beyond the level of merely being equipped with AI to the 'validation' stage, with CES 2026 as an inflection point," adding, "As all hardware combines with AI to learn and decide on its own, displays are also evolving beyond simple panels into core infrastructure that connects spaces and humans."
Kookmin University Professor Jung Gumin also said, "New forms of displays, including those on the front of robots as well as spatial and transparent types, will become key media for conveying AI's intent," and predicted, "They will establish themselves as essential infrastructure that completes communication between humans and AI and drives commercialization."
Kim Yong-seok, Director General of the Display Innovation Project Group (Hongik University professor), saw the importance of "display technology that can interact with people" rising amid this trend. He said, "Displays must play a role in communicating with devices, so rather than simply advancing picture quality as in the past, integration with AI will become the key point," adding, "We must preempt new forms of displays suited to AI to seize market leadership. We need to focus on AI- and system-centered displays, low-power technology, and the development of new form factor and sensor convergence technologies." He said, " 'Five-sense sensing' technology that can recognize the surroundings is the direction the display industry should take."
Kim also pointed out that in traditional display application sectors such as TVs, Korea should not easily hand over leadership to China. TCL acquired the Chinese liquid crystal display (LCD) plants of Samsung Display and LG Display. While Korean corporations ran Chinese LCD factories and posted losses of hundreds of billions of won, TCL turned a profit, according to Kim. He said, "Even without receiving LCD support from the Chinese government, they achieved a surplus through their own expense reduction efforts," advising, "Korea's display industry also needs thorough analysis on expense reduction."
There were also calls for Korean industry to respond quickly in display fields applied to cars and XR. Byun Chun-won, a principal researcher at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), said, "XR technology is shifting to an everyday interface centered on AI glasses, and Android-based technology cooperation anchored by Google, Qualcomm, Samsung, and XREAL, along with the expansion of the Spatial Computing ecosystem, is accelerating," adding, "Despite many analyses that XR devices will become a new trend, Korea is passive in investment and the industry's role is viewed conservatively, which is a problem."
Kwak Su-jin, Deputy Minister at the Korea Automobile Research Institute, said, "The yardstick for future mobility competition is moving beyond driving performance to data-based personalized services and user experience," adding, "The capability to integrate platforms, services, and energy into one will become the key criterion that determines corporations' competitive edge."
The Korea Display Industry Association plans to continue operating technology exchange programs like this forum and contribute to building a display convergence ecosystem by establishing inter-industry cooperation networks, expanding global linkages, and pursuing joint research and development (R&D).