Download
AMCHAM,
Speak highlight AI's role in developing global workforce
By Lee Gyu-lee, The Korea Times - 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.
