AWS Summit Seoul: AI Innovation Session Draws Massive Crowd

The session on 'Business Innovation Led by AI' at 'AWS Summit Seoul 2026' on its first day proved the intense interest with an overwhelming number of attendees. The session, which filled the large auditorium without a single empty seat, featured prominent leaders from companies such as Samsung Electronics, Woowa Brothers, and Twelve Labs, who shared their realistic concerns about AI adoption.

Statistics revealed on-site indicated that 64% of global leaders are achieving innovation through AI, and 34% are entering the stage of reinventing their business models, suggesting AI is emerging not as an option, but as a matter of survival.

Leaders from Samsung Electronics, Woowa Brothers, and Twelve Labs emphasized the importance of 'supporter-type leadership' in the AI era, which moves beyond leadership based solely on past experience. This approach involves separating 'tasks humans can do better' from 'tasks AI can handle' and reducing execution costs through small, rapid validations. The biggest barrier to AI adoption was identified not as the technology itself, but as 'people and culture' within the organization.

Woowa Brothers shared their strategy of a 'secret task force' experiment to assist non-developer departments in AI transformation, while Samsung Electronics presented a goal to automate 80% of cloud operational tasks within three years, sharing their adaptation strategies for the AI era. 'Controllability' was highlighted as a crucial criterion when entrusting decision-making to AI agents.

Samsung Electronics VP Seo Chi-young stated that in areas where recovery is difficult in case of an incident, humans must conduct the final verification even for AI recommendations. Woowa Brothers responded by categorizing responses based on system criticality: humans verify critical areas like customer orders and payments, while AI executes simple guidance based on clear rules.

Twelve Labs CTO Lee Seung-jun stressed the importance of quickly recognizing and switching from AI errors. Woowa Brothers aims to introduce an 'AI agent per employee within a year,' arguing that leaders must personally use AI services daily to drive appropriate organizational change. The dialogue concluded with advice that leaders must try it themselves first, underscoring that AI will now become a tool for work.