SK's Chey Tae-won Says, "We Must Move Into AX at Full Speed" ... Also Pushes Introduction of "One AI Agent per Person"

[Financial News] SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has called for the group to accelerate its AI Transformation (AX) across the board as the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) unfolds, urging executives and employees to move quickly from discussion to execution. He also stressed the need to build a "One AI Agent per Person" system that goes beyond individual AI use and links it to organizational performance. 
According to SK Group on the 14th, Chey said at the 2026 New Icheon Forum, held from the 11th to the 13th at the SKMS Research Institute in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, "Now is the time to enter AI transformation from every direction at full speed."
This year's forum was held under the theme, "Disruptive Innovation Brought by AI, A Major Shift Toward AX-Centered Management." Since 2019, Chey has used the Icheon Forum to emphasize innovation with AI as a key agenda item. From top executives to frontline employees, SK Group has discussed ways to strengthen global competitiveness by making innovation technologies such as AI and Digital Transformation core growth engines. However, this was the first time the forum focused intensively on a single AI theme for three straight days. 
Chey identified the starting point of AX as "a precise definition of work." He said, "The first step is to know exactly what we are doing," adding, "It is important to define our work clearly and determine what we will innovate with AI and how." He also suggested building a system that continuously accumulates data and identifies and improves problems in real time. 
In particular, he said, "We need to evolve from my AI to our AI," and proposed introducing a "One AI Agent per Person" system.
Chey said, "More than 90% of employees are using AI, but we need AI that can improve the performance of the organization as a whole, beyond personal use." He added, "I will also create numerous agents and use them to communicate with executives and employees at each company." He went on to say, "Dozens of chairman avatars will enter each company, listen to employees, and work together with other agents."
Chey defined the essence of AX as operational improvement, or O/I, explaining that "everything involved in defining what we do and changing the way we work is O/I." He added, "AX is the best tool for improving O/I execution," and analyzed that "the power to overcome countless challenges and respond to future opportunities ultimately comes from O/I capability." 
He also spoke about the growth direction of the AI industry and SK Group's competitiveness. Chey predicted that after the growth of the AI industry centered on memory chips, a major transformation would follow across AI infrastructure, including data centers, energy, and telecommunications networks. He added that a wide range of AI application industries would then begin to grow in earnest. 
Chey said, "It is rare to find a company with a full stack that includes the memory needed in the AI era, data center infrastructure, energy, and electrification capabilities." He added, "SK has the core business portfolio needed to help open the AI era." 
At the same time, he urged executives to maintain a strong sense of crisis. He said, "If we do not execute AX in all directions at full speed now, this golden opportunity we have been given will not come easily again." SK executives also shared the sense of urgency that "management must innovate first," and agreed that "even if AX starts small, it is important to execute first and expand quickly." 
Meanwhile, the forum also featured a virtual panel agent powered by AI technology. The AI agent "Sky" summarized and presented the executives' discussions in real time, while AI panels built on consultants, executives, and employees in their 50s joined the debate alongside actual employees. 

soup@fnnews.com Im Su-bin Reporter