Global companies such as Google and Apple have been keen to recruit talent in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data early on. This is because the demand for labor has increased as the digital transformation (DX) of the industry accelerates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Korean conglomerates seem to be far behind in the battle for AI talent.
The dark reality of companies is revealed in the number of AI and big data executives that rarely increases. On the 28th, the Korea Economic Daily analyzed the business reports of the top 30 companies by market capitalization in the stock market during the first half of this year. At the end of last June, there were only 43. This is only 1.3% of the total number of unregistered executives (3285) of the 30 largest listed companies. 14 places (46.7%) did not have a dedicated AI executive.
For two and a half years since the end of 2019, when the battle for securing AI talents between global companies ignited, the number of executives in charge of AI and big data in the top 30 Korean companies was 4 (39 at the end of 2019). → 43), and the share was only 0.05 percentage points (2019. 1.25% → 1.30%) at the end of the year) increased. A Google startup CEO explained, “At Google or Apple headquarters in Silicon Valley, the difference is AI and big data experts. The president of an electronics conglomerate said, “Apple employs nearly 20,000 people in research and development for parts, while Samsung Electronics employs 1,500, less than a tenth.”
It is analyzed that the lack of an ecosystem for nurturing advanced AI talent in Korea and the reluctance of talented people in advanced AI countries such as the United States and Canada to work for Korean companies act as ‘barriers’.
Jo Sung-bae, a professor of computer science at Yonsei University, said, “One top talent out of 100 general-purpose workers determines the level of the AI industry and academia.
Correspondent Hwang Jung-soo hjs@hankyung.com
