FORUM Korean firms should move AI from routine tasks into core operations: PwC executive

Cho Yong-min, a partner at PwC Korea, speaks during the 2026 Korea Times Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul, Tuesday. The forum was themed "Made in Korea: Global Expansion and AI Enablement." Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Korean companies should shift their focus from choosing the best artificial intelligence (AI) models to helping AI understand their business processes and integrating the technology into their core operations, a PwC Korea executive said Tuesday.

Speaking at the 2026 Korea Times Forum, Cho Yong-min, a partner at the Korean member firm of global consulting and accounting giant PwC, said many businesses have already adopted AI for tasks such as writing documents, conducting research and assisting with software development.

However, he said the real payoff comes when AI is used to improve the day-to-day operations that drive a company's business, rather than simply handling routine tasks.

“Using AI for productivity is important, but the bigger challenge is whether it can change a company's key operations,” he said during the forum co-organized by The Korea Times and GR Korea, a government relations and public affairs service company.

Held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul, the forum was themed “Made in Korea: Global and AI Enablement.”

Cho participated as a keynote speaker, delivering a presentation titled “How Korean firms should navigate global transformations in the AI era.”

He noted that AI technology is advancing at a rapid pace, with new large language models and AI services emerging almost daily.

Accordingly, companies are increasingly using a mix of commercial AI products, open-source models and smaller language models tailored to specific needs.

“With these AI tools becoming more widely available, focus should shift from selecting the best technology to finding ways to apply it effectively within organizations,” he said. “Companies are now thinking about how to organize their knowledge for AI to understand and use it.”

He pointed to the growing interest in AI agents capable of going beyond answering questions to carrying out tasks on behalf of users.

Many companies believe such technologies could significantly reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.

“A big challenge would be turning the experience and expertise accumulated within organizations into information that AI systems can access and learn from … Businesses that successfully capture and utilize their institutional knowledge will gain a competitive advantage as AI adoption accelerates,” he explained.

Cho stressed the importance of investing in infrastructure, including data centers, computing power and advanced semiconductors needed to support AI services.

Korea has been expanding investment in these areas as businesses and policymakers seek to strengthen the country's AI capabilities.

Cho Yong-min, a partner at PwC Korea, speaks during the 2026 Korea Times Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul, Tuesday. Cho delivered a presentation titled "How Korean firms should navigate global transformation in the AI era" as a keynote speaker. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Looking ahead, he predicted that AI's impact will extend beyond software into physical environments through robotics and physical AI, allowing autonomous systems to operate in factories and other industrial settings.

At the same time, Cho cautioned that technology alone will not guarantee success.

“Many companies remain focused on evaluating new AI tools but often lack the governance systems and operating models needed to deploy them effectively,” he said. “Different departments within the same company often adopt separate AI solutions, resulting in duplicated investments and fragmented strategies.”

The rise of AI agents also presents new challenges related to security and risk management, according to Cho.

“Unlike traditional chatbots, AI agents can access information, interact with company systems and take actions autonomously. As a result, companies need clear rules governing how AI systems operate, what information they can access and how they are monitored,” he said.

He added that companies must continuously train and improve AI systems by providing feedback and updating the data and knowledge on which they rely.

Ultimately, Cho said AI should not be viewed simply as a tool for replacing workers.

“The key is finding ways for people and AI to work together effectively,” he said.