Samil PwC: "Korean Companies Lack Sophistication in AI Utilization"

Survey on AI Utilization by Korean Companies

"Over 70% Remain at Basic Functions Such as Support and Summarization"

Shifting Focus from Mere Cost Reduction to Growth-Oriented Strategies

Korean companies have been found to lack the sophistication in AI utilization compared to global companies that are adept at leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). There is a growing opinion that AI should not be used merely as a cost-saving tool, but rather considered as part of a growth strategy.

According to the "2026 AI Performance Analysis Report" published by Samil PwC, this conclusion was reached based on a survey conducted by PwC targeting senior executives from 1,217 companies across 25 industries worldwide, examining the status and outcomes of AI adoption.

PwC developed the AI Fitness Index, classifying the top 20% of companies on this index as "AI Leading Companies." The AI Fitness Index evaluates the level of participation across 60 areas related to AI management and investment execution, and is comprised of six core competencies—strategy, investment, human resources, and governance—as well as three utilization indicators.

The report also conducted a separate analysis of Korean companies in terms of AI adoption. The results showed that Korean companies scored approximately 5.4 out of 10 on the AI Fitness Index, positioned between leading companies (6.8) and the remaining companies (5.2). Korean companies outperformed the rest in employee productivity (46%) and organizational agility (44%), and the value creation speed of companies participating in AI pilots (5.6 months) was the fastest among all. Data-driven value creation (59%) and competition with other industries (41%) were also close to the levels of the leading companies.

However, Korean companies lagged most significantly behind the leading companies in the sophistication of AI utilization. Seventy-three percent of Korean companies used AI for the most basic functions, such as support, summarization, analysis, and recommendations. No Korean company had achieved autonomous operation or self-optimization with AI. In comparison to the remaining companies, Korean companies also showed lower performance in customer experience innovation (22%) and in decision-making without human intervention (15%). In terms of governance, Korean companies scored lower than the rest in all categories except for security (63%).

A Samil PwC representative stated, "Korean companies are prepared in terms of strategy, technology, and human resources, but their investment decision-making and risk and performance management systems are not sufficiently established to support these areas."

Seunghwan Lee, AX Node Leader (Partner) at Samil PwC, said, "Korean companies possess the strength of fast value creation through AI pilots, but in order to expand these results to the enterprise level, it is urgent to enhance the level of autonomy in AI utilization and to strengthen governance systems." He added, "It is time to move away from a cost-saving perspective on AI and shift to a growth-oriented AI strategy, focusing on industry convergence and business model innovation."

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