EY Han Young: "Enterprises Must Redesign Competitiveness with AI"

2026 EY Han Young New Year Economic Outlook Seminar Held

On January 29, global accounting and consulting firm EY Han Young announced that it had held its annual flagship seminar, the "2026 EY Han Young New Year Economic Outlook Seminar," under the theme "The Age of NAVI: Redesigning Enterprises with AI."

The event began with a keynote speech by former Financial Services Commission Chairman Choi Jongku, who presented the 2026 domestic and global macroeconomic outlook. Youngdae Kwon, Head of the EY Han Young Industry Research Institute, discussed the business impact of the Age of NAVI, while Suyeon Kim, EY Consulting Partner and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Leader, presented strategies for AI-based enterprise redesign.

Former Chairman Choi commented on this year's economic outlook, stating, "The global economy is likely to settle into a slow-growth trend amid a gradual slowdown." He added, "The domestic economy will see growth led by domestic demand based on expansionary fiscal policy, but export growth will slow as the impact of tariff increases is gradually reflected." He identified major economic issues such as economic bloc formation due to geopolitical tensions, structural changes in the economy and employment driven by AI, the challenge for Korean companies to differentiate their technological capabilities as China advances technologically, changes in energy and power infrastructure, and the impact of the won-dollar exchange rate.

As a strategy to respond to these uncertainties, he proposed the 4P approach: Perceive, Prioritize, Prototype, and Partner. He explained that companies should use data analysis to detect market signals early (Perceive), prioritize proactive investment areas in their existing portfolios and new business initiatives (Prioritize), and then expand in stages through small-scale verification with technology validation and pilot projects (Prototype). He also emphasized the need to quickly build capabilities and pursue both competitiveness enhancement and risk diversification through appropriate partnerships (Partner).

Youngdae Kwon, Head of the EY Han Young Industry Research Institute, outlined five major megatrends defining the Age of NAVI. He analyzed that the acceleration of international order restructuring driven by competition in core future industries, intensifying competition to secure untapped resources and dominate new markets, the unlimited expansion of human and machine capabilities enabled by AI technology, the redefinition of productivity as humans and AI coexist, and the maximization of management flexibility through the use of new technologies such as AI and blockchain are fundamentally transforming the business environment. As a result, he noted that global technological hegemony competition in areas such as AI, defense, and energy is leading to supply chain transformation and increased policy and investment, opening up business opportunities based on future technologies. Secondly, he explained that as AI adoption spreads, repetitive work is automated and human roles are shifting to high value-added areas centered on judgment, creativity, and coordination, increasing the need to redefine workforce roles. Thirdly, he stated that the proliferation of advanced automation systems throughout corporate operations is accelerating the transition to autonomous management.

Suyeon Kim, EY Consulting Partner and AI Leader, proposed an effective AX roadmap consisting of: 1) clear definition of problem-centered issues, 2) assessment of AI applicability and investment feasibility, 3) evaluation of data readiness, 4) initial results and validation through technology proof-of-concept (PoC), and 5) innovation in organizational culture and work methods. Kim emphasized, "Successful AX is not simply about adopting technology, but about transforming problem-solving and working methods." She stressed that starting with a clear definition of core business problems and objectives, checking the readiness of available technology and data, and implementing a phased introduction alongside change management for members can enable AI to deliver tangible results relative to investment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.