Kim Kyung-il, Director of The Game-n-Science Institute, announced that the 2026 Game Science Forum will be held on Friday, September 4, at 2:00 PM at the National Library of Korea's International Conference Hall. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Creative Content Agency, the Game Culture Foundation, and Google, the event will be held under the theme, The Playground Effect: The Future of Education Shaped by AI and Games. The forum will be moderated by announcer Cho Su-bin.

The event will bring together researchers from psychology, education, and game studies, along with industry leaders, to redefine artificial intelligence and game technology as a Digital Playground. They will engage in in-depth discussions on how to usher in a new era of learning through the convergence of education and technology to support the growth of children and adolescents. The forum is particularly significant for its shift in policy paradigm: moving beyond traditional Screen Time regulations that focused solely on restricting device usage, it aims to empower children to enjoy digital environments productively and safely.

The keynote address, which will kick off the event, will be delivered by cognitive psychologist Professor Kim Kyung-il, who will analyze the psychological reasons why humans become deeply immersed in play. He is expected to point out the limitations of past regulations that focused on blocking access and emphasize the importance of a game literacy perspective that understands adolescent psychology. Following the keynote, expert presentations will be divided into two sessions.

In the first session, Professor Kim Ki-han of Seoul National University will present on the Playground Effect and the educational potential of games and esports, highlighting their social and educational value based on mutual cooperation and feedback. Next, KRAFTON team leader Kim Hyun-seung will present AI Playing Together: From Play to Learning, explaining how the process of solving problems with AI in games can serve as an interface to enhance a player's capabilities.

In the second session, Professor Lee Seung-hoon of Anyang University will propose policies for creating game-user-friendly environments, offering strategies to build safe and sustainable ecosystems based on global platform technology. Following this, Professor Jin Ye-won of Ewha Womans University will discuss Conceptual Confusion in Measuring Gaming Disorder: Implications for Post-Digital Policy, analyzing the boundaries between gaming and gambling and discussing policy directions based on scientific evidence.

After the presentations, Han Min, Director of the Sapiens Island Corporate Research Institute, will serve as moderator for a panel discussion, gathering insights from speakers and the audience to discuss future-oriented policy design. Director Kim Kyung-il stated, "The 2026 Game Science Forum will serve as an opportunity to move away from unconditional 'exclusion or isolation' regarding games and AI technology and establish a constructive perspective of 'education and utilization.' We will present practical policy milestones for building a balanced game ecosystem where innovation and autonomous safety coexist." Those wishing to attend can register for free in advance via the official website of the 2026 Game Science Forum.