[AI Era, Jobs Are Changing] "Not Manager Kim, but President Kim First"... Companies Embark on Special AI Training

SK introduces 'AI Worker' under Chairman Chey Tae-won's leadership
AI as a colleague supplementing judgment and responsibility, not replacing people
LG fosters AI leaders through its AI Graduate School
Samsung establishes 'AX Center' directly under CEO Lee Junhee
Kakao formulating company-wide AI tool adoption policy

Editor's NoteThe use of artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial sites, including manufacturing, is expected to be the most significant topic for the industry this year. AI, already deployed in manufacturing sites, has proven to play a pivotal role in improving productivity. This scope will expand in earnest this year. However, concerns about job reduction lie behind the AI-driven production innovation. This is because the concept of the so-called 'Dark Factory,' where production occurs without human intervention, is gradually becoming a reality, making full automation possible. Nevertheless, The Asia Business Daily has found that changes in jobs at manufacturing sites where AI is applied are complex. There is a clear division of roles: machines handle repetitive and dangerous tasks, while humans focus on judgment, management, and responsibility. In other words, AI is not pushing people out but is starting to redefine jobs. The AI era presents not only challenges of productivity and technological competition but also the task of job transition. The Asia Business Daily visited industrial sites in the new year to directly observe the changes in jobs brought about by AI.

"To improve productivity using artificial intelligence (AI), senior management must become more familiar with AI first."

Major domestic companies are rolling up their sleeves for special AI training to enhance productivity as they mark the 'first year of AI.' In particular, 'internal organizational redesign'-deciding which tasks to delegate to AI and how executives can manage these to improve work efficiency-has emerged as a key topic for the new year.

SK Group, under the direction of Chairman Chey Tae-won, has introduced the concept of the 'AI Worker,' calling for a comprehensive change in work execution methods. This represents a strategic shift to utilize AI not as a tool to replace people, but as a 'colleague' that supplements human judgment and responsibility. A senior SK official emphasized, "We are restructuring work so that simple, repetitive tasks such as searching and summarizing are handled by AI, while people focus on value judgments and setting directions."

SK Telecom and SK Broadband are operating AI education programs for executives on weekends. Combining lectures and hands-on practice, the programs cover various generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude, as well as prompt engineering techniques. Some executive-level managers are also required to complete AI-related certification courses, making AI utilization a key competency for leaders.

LG has announced its ambition to cultivate AI leaders specialized in industrial sites, with the LG AI Graduate School-the first in-house graduate school officially accredited by the Ministry of Education in Korea-holding its opening ceremony for master's and doctoral programs this March. Last year, LG CNS (LG CNS) held its first AX workshop in partnership with the global AI unicorn Cohere. An LG CNS representative said, "The workshop received great feedback as it allowed employees to first learn about large language models (LLM) and industry-specific AI applications in theory, then implement what they learned in practice at the Cohere office in San Francisco, USA, as part of a hands-on AX training program."

Samsung SDS (Samsung SDS) established the 'AX Center' directly under CEO Lee Junhee early last month, strengthening its focus on AI transformation (AX). Executive Vice President Kim Jongpil, who previously headed the development center, now leads the AX Center, consolidating scattered AI-related sales, marketing, and technology development teams within the company for more efficient management.

Kakao, a leading domestic IT company, is currently formulating a company-wide policy for adopting AI tools. Kim Sewoong, Vice President of Kakao AI Synergy TF, addressed concerns about workforce reductions related to AI, saying, "While there are worries about labor market restructuring, we also see AI as a way to augment human capabilities and enable people to accomplish more, thus enhancing productivity." Kakao plans to establish an internal policy this month detailing specific job categories for AI adoption and usage strategies.

Experts predict that, whereas AI personnel were previously concentrated in manufacturing companies, select IT platforms, and telecom firms, this year will see a full-scale expansion of AI talent into a wider range of companies, accelerating corporate transformation. Oh Samil, Head of the Employment Research Team at the Bank of Korea's Research Department, stated, "63.5% of Korean workers are using generative AI, and even when limited to work purposes, the usage rate is 51.8%, which is about twice as high as in the United States." He added, "The use of generative AI has reduced average working hours by 1.5 hours per week (based on a 40-hour workweek), and we expect the utilization rate for work to increase even further this year."

As the adoption of AI in work becomes more widespread, more companies are expected to focus on work redesign and reskilling, rather than simply reducing headcount. According to the Korea Employment Information Service's study published last year, 'Job Replacement and Changes for White-Collar Workers Due to AI,' AI is operating not by replacing entire occupations, but by changing the individual work units that make up a job. The research team conducted in-depth interviews with white-collar professionals in high-impact fields such as researchers, IT developers, and lawyers, and found that repetitive and standardized tasks are shifting to AI, while functions such as problem definition, judgment, and verification are becoming even more important.