[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' direct

Editor's NoteThe use of artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial sites, including manufacturing, is expected to be the biggest topic in the industry this year. AI, which has already been introduced to manufacturing sites, has proven to play a driving role in improving productivity. This scope will expand in earnest this year. However, concerns about job losses are emerging as a flip side of 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 complete automation possible. However, The Asia Business Daily has found that changes in jobs at manufacturing sites where AI has been applied are complex. There is a clear division of roles: machines are taking on repetitive and dangerous tasks, while humans are focusing on judgment, management, and responsibility. In other words, AI is not pushing people out but is beginning 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 by utilizing 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 boost productivity as they declare this year the 'first year of AI.' In particular, 'internal organizational redesign'-deciding which tasks to assign to AI and how executives will manage these to enhance 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 fundamental change in how work is performed. This is a strategic shift to utilize AI as a 'colleague' that supplements human judgment and responsibility, rather than as a tool to replace people. A senior SK official emphasized, "We are restructuring work so that simple, repetitive search or summarization tasks are assigned to AI, while humans focus on value judgments and setting directions."

SK Telecom and SK Broadband are running AI education programs for executives on weekends. These programs combine lectures and hands-on training, covering various generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude, as well as prompt engineering methods. Some C-level executives are also required to complete AI certification programs, making AI proficiency a key competency for leaders.

LG has announced its ambition to cultivate AI leaders specialized for industrial sites with the opening ceremony of the LG AI Graduate School, the first in-house graduate school officially accredited by the Ministry of Education, scheduled for March this year. Last year, LG CNS held its first AX workshop in collaboration with the global AI unicorn Cohere. An LG CNS official said, "The workshop was a hands-on AX education program where employees first learned about large language models (LLMs) and industry-specific AI applications in theory, and then implemented what they learned at Cohere's office in San Francisco. It received an enthusiastic response."

In early December, Samsung SDS established the 'AX Center' directly under CEO Lee Junhee, strengthening its focus on AI transformation (AX). Executive Vice President Kim Jongpil, who previously led the development center, is now heading the AX Center, bringing together scattered in-house organizations related to AI sales, marketing, and technology development for more efficient management.

Kakao, a leading IT company in Korea, is currently formulating a company-wide AI tool adoption policy. Kim Sewoong, Vice President of Kakao's AI Synergy Task Force, addressed concerns about workforce reductions due to AI, stating, "While there are worries about labor market restructuring, AI also enhances human capabilities, enabling people to accomplish more. We view AI as a means to increase productivity." Kakao plans to finalize internal policies this month regarding specific job categories and ways to utilize AI.

Experts predict that while AI personnel were previously concentrated in manufacturing companies, certain IT platforms, and telecom operators, this year will see a full-scale expansion to a wider range of companies, not just a few top-tier firms, accelerating organizational change. Oh Samil, Head of the Employment Research Team at the Bank of Korea's Research Department, noted, "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. The use of generative AI has reduced average work time by 1.5 hours per week (based on a 40-hour workweek), and I expect the utilization rate for work purposes to increase even further this year."

As the adoption of AI in the workplace becomes more widespread, more companies are expected to focus on redesigning work and increasing retraining needs rather than simply reducing headcount. According to the Korea Employment Information Service's report last year, "Job Replacement and Change of White-Collar Workers by AI," AI is not replacing entire occupations but is instead transforming work units that make up those jobs. The research team conducted in-depth interviews with white-collar professionals in high-AI-impact fields such as researchers, IT developers, and lawyers, and found that repetitive and standardized tasks are shifting to AI, while roles such as problem definition, judgment, and verification are becoming increasingly important.