Busan soju manufacturer Daesun Jujong recently applied AI to its manufacturing process. Last year, the company introduced a vision AI-based bottle inspection system into its soju production line, increasing the speed and accuracy of inspections. As a result, the bottle inspection speed was increased by more than double. Until then, bottles were sorted directly by humans.
Following the introduction of ChatGPT, the emergence of China's low-cost AI 'DeepSeek' has accelerated the AI era, with domestic small and medium enterprises (SMEs) also viewing AI as a 'game changer.' This is because SMEs can apply AI technology in areas such as manufacturing, customer management, and marketing to enhance productivity, reduce expenses, and increase sales.
Conversely, there is also the possibility that AI could act as a crisis factor for SMEs. If they fail to adopt AI technology and fall behind in the changing times, they may be eliminated from the market. Experts express concern about this aspect.
◇AI utilization rate among small and medium enterprises: 5%
In reality, most domestic SMEs are failing to adopt AI. Currently, the AI utilization rate among SMEs is only 5%. According to the 'AI Utilization Status Survey of Small and Medium Enterprises' released by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises in November of last year, only 5.3% of SMEs had applied AI. The remaining 94.7% were not using AI.
The key point is that SMEs do not feel the necessity of adopting AI. According to this survey, among 300 domestic SMEs, 80.7% stated that 'AI is not necessary for business' and 14.9% said that 'they do not know how AI can help in company management.'
SMEs believe that even if they adopt AI technology, it would not have a significant effect on company management. This reflects the characteristics and limitations of domestic SMEs. Compared to large enterprises, SMEs tend to strongly hold onto their past practices, demonstrating a 'status quo' tendency, which has intensified due to the worst management environment characterized by high interest rates, high prices, and prolonged domestic recession.
On the contrary, it is generally assessed that SMEs have low innovative capabilities in adopting new technologies in line with trends. This has been influenced by the aging of SME CEOs and employees. There is an absolute shortage of young talent who can learn new technologies like AI and apply them to business.
An SME representative noted, "Small and medium enterprises have a low understanding of AI compared to large companies and do not feel the advantages of adopting AI in their business structure, which primarily focuses on obtaining profits through product supply." He added, "In our company, we currently do not feel the necessity for AI usage aside from drafting meeting minutes."
◇'CEOs need to improve awareness and introduce AI technology'
Experts emphasize that to encourage SMEs to utilize AI more actively, it is crucial to first change the perception of CEOs. They also point out the need to identify accurately which areas—such as production and marketing—AI should be applied to achieve significant results relative to investment.
Kang Sang-ki, head of the AI Solutions Center at Hanyang University, stated, "While it is easy to talk about the positive effects of AI, such as improved productivity, it is quite challenging for SMEs to achieve actual outcomes after adopting AI," stressing the importance of partial AI adoption tailored to corporate situations.
For manufacturing SMEs with insufficient funds and workforce, it is not easy to apply AI across all production processes, including raw material input, processing, inspection, and shipment. Therefore, it is essential to find and focus on areas where AI can yield maximum results.
Kim Il-jung, head of the Manufacturing AI Big Data Center at KAIST, also stated, "Instead of applying AI to all manufacturing processes, SMEs should focus on critical processes that align with their objectives." He further noted, "The commitment of CEOs is crucial; the adoption of AI should not be a one-time event but must be carried out over the long term, accompanied by staff training to manage it."
Kim emphasized, "In the future, companies capable of AI manufacturing will be separated from those that are not," stating, "By applying AI to enhance productivity, companies can maximize profits, and a new era is approaching where AI robots will replace hazardous tasks, directly impacting the work environment."