GS Group is stepping up future innovation management based on digital and eco-friendly initiatives. The strategy is to enhance competitiveness by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into traditional businesses and to help expand Korea's AI ecosystem.
On the 27th, GS Group said the company holds a Silicon Valley-style idea competition, the "GS Group Hackathon," every year to drive groupwide AI innovation. The hackathon is a venue where all affiliates' employees use AI technology to solve challenges they face in the field, playing a key role in increasing on-the-job AI adoption and spreading a culture of innovation.
The 4th GS Group Hackathon, held in Sep. last year, ran under the theme "PLAI: Play with GenAI." A record 837 people (256 teams), including group employees and outside organizations, participated. Over one night and two days, participants carried out the entire process from defining problems and proposing solutions to building service prototypes based on Generative AI.
This hackathon introduced GS's self-developed AX (AI transformation) platform "MISO" and Vercel's vibe-coding tool "v0." At the competition, a variety of ideas were proposed, from work-efficiency improvements to ways to enhance customer experience at each business site, including gas stations, convenience stores and construction sites. Selected outstanding teams will move to real-world implementation with group-level support.
Affiliates are also continuing AI-driven innovation. GS Caltex is pursuing "Digital & AI Transformation (DAX)," which integrates digital transformation (DX) and AI transformation (AX), to secure competitive advantage in the AI era.
GS Caltex develops its own AI models based on massive data generated at the Yeosu plant and uses them to optimize production processes. It is also deploying smart safety equipment, including AI CCTVs, at business sites to detect potential hazards in real time.
GS Engineering & Construction is fostering an in-house culture in which all employees use AI in their work. To communicate smoothly with foreign workers on site, it developed the AI translation program "Xi Voice," and, to prevent various errors when reviewing structural design documents, it introduced an AI-based "design drawing review system" in the field and completed a patent application in Aug. last year.
GS Retail is pursuing field-centered AX. It created "VOC reconstruction," which uses Generative AI to identify improvement tasks from customer feedback by channel, and a "franchisee information-sharing system redesign," which can deliver tailored information to convenience store operators.
GS25 uses AI in store operations and management. In product ordering, it runs an automatic ordering system based on AI Machine Learning. In store management, an AI service called "Aiari (Gen AI)" helps sales managers instantly check job manuals and practical materials in the field.
GS Shop is using AI production technology not only for broadcast screens but also for producing promotional videos and fashion broadcast content. It plans to further strengthen its competitiveness in using AI data and improve partner sales performance. It will also provide AI practical-use training to all employees and reflect field feedback.
In addition, GS E&R commercialized a "wind power generation forecasting solution" using AI Machine Learning techniques, becoming the first in the industry to reduce wind power generation forecast error rates to below 10%. GS Global is pursuing AX activities to minimize legal risks by automating repetitive contract comparison tasks with AI.
GS Group also operates an innovation community, "52g" (5pen 2nnovation GS), which leads digital transformation (DX) to pursue innovation in how people work. The hallmark of 52g is discovering and sharing creative ideas through voluntary cooperation among members. At the senior management level, the "AI digital council," which includes all presidents within GS Group, is held every quarter.
Huh Tae-soo, chairman of GS Group, said, "GS does not directly make products like AI Semiconductor, but we treat data as an asset, manage it properly and combine it with AI to create new value," adding, "We will boldly seize opportunities amid change so that GS and Korea's AI ecosystem can grow together."