What did AMCHAM and Speak discuss at their AI workforce forum in Seoul?

They focused on how AI can help companies build a globally competitive workforce. Speakers discussed talent development, workplace communication and cross-border collaboration as Korean companies expand overseas.

Why did Connor Zwick say AI changes workforce training economics?

Zwick said personalized training used to be too expensive, so companies trained only a handful of executives. He said AI now makes individualized practice affordable at scale, including for 10,000 employees.

AMCHAM, Speak highlight AI's role in developing global workforce

Q: How did HANDOK say it is transforming its workforce with AI?

Choi Chung-nam said HANDOK is combining leadership change, practical upskilling, real-world application and companywide adoption. The company presented this as its approach to workforce transformation.

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Summary

AMCHAM and Speakeasy Labs hosted a forum Wednesday on how AI can help companies build a globally competitive workforce. Speakers said AI is reshaping talent development, workplace communication and cross-border collaboration as Korean companies expand overseas. Kwon Oh-hyung and Connor Zwick emphasized communication, AI literacy and personalized training. The event also featured talks from Andrew Hsu, Choi Chung-nam and Kim Soo-yeon.

Key Facts

The forum was titled The New Workforce: How AI Is Powering the Next Generation of Global Talent.
Kwon Oh-hyung is AMCHAM vice chairman and senior vice president and president of Asia-Pacific at Qualcomm Technologies.
Connor Zwick said AI can now give individualized practice to 10,000 employees for what used to cover just a few dozen.
Andrew Hsu said AI is increasing the need for effective communication skills rather than reducing the importance of English proficiency.
Choi Chung-nam shared HANDOK's approach to workforce transformation through leadership change, practical upskilling, real-world application and companywide adoption.

By Lee Gyu-lee

Published Aug 27, 2026 11:27 am KST

Connor Zwick, co-founder and CEO of Speak, second from left; Kwon Oh-hyung, AMCHAM vice chairman and senior vice president and president of Asia-Pacific at Qualcomm Technologies, center; and Andrew Hsu, chief technology officer of Speak, second from right, pose during a forum in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of AMCHAM

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), in partnership with Speakeasy Labs, developer of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered language learning platform Speak, hosted a forum Wednesday on how AI can help companies build a globally competitive workforce.

The event, titled “The New Workforce: How AI Is Powering the Next Generation of Global Talent,” brought together senior executives, human resources leaders and business decision-makers to discuss how AI is reshaping talent development, workplace communication and cross-border collaboration.

The speakers emphasized effective communication, AI literacy and cross-cultural collaboration as key to sustainable global growth as Korean companies expand overseas.

Kwon Oh-hyung, AMCHAM vice chairman and senior vice president and president of Asia-Pacific at Qualcomm Technologies, and Connor Zwick, co-founder and CEO of Speakeasy Labs, delivered opening remarks.

“Technology alone does not drive transformation. Its real value emerges when people have the skills and confidence to put it to work,” Kwon said, stressing the need for Korean companies to develop employees who can communicate effectively, use AI confidently and work across cultures.

Zwick said AI is making personalized workforce training more affordable at scale.

“Until recently, preparing an entire workforce for that was unaffordable, so companies trained a handful of executives instead,” he said.

“AI has changed the economics. A company can now give individualized practice to 10,000 employees, built around their specific work, for what used to cover just a few dozen.”

Andrew Hsu, chief technology officer of Speak, said in a keynote that AI is not reducing the importance of English proficiency but increasing the need for effective communication skills.

He highlighted role-based practice and industry-specific content as tools for addressing business problems caused by miscommunication, urging companies to use AI not only to accelerate existing tasks but also to rethink how work is done.

Choi Chung-nam, team manager at HANDOK, shared the pharmaceutical company's approach to workforce transformation, combining leadership change, practical upskilling, real-world application and companywide adoption.

Zwick later joined Kim Soo-yeon, chief technology officer of EY Asia East, for a fireside chat on how AI is reshaping global business growth. They discussed practical ways companies can use AI to strengthen competitiveness across markets.

The event concluded with a networking session focused on AI-driven talent development and organizational transformation.

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