GS E&C CEO Huh Yoon-hong (second from right) listens to participants explaining their projects during the GS Group 2024 Hackathon held at a Seoul hotel on Wednesday. (GS Group)

Korean energy, retail and construction conglomerate GS Group launched its annual hackathon on Wednesday, running to Thursday, centered on artificial intelligence to drive digital transformation across the company.

GS Group has hosted such hackathon events since 2020, but this marks the first year participants are allowed to use generative AI, including ChatGPT, with the aim of enhancing AI utility capabilities among employees.

"With the advent of generative AI, we've entered a period where our field employees can directly drive digital innovation. We should equip all employees across the group with the ability to proficiently use generative AI tools," said GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo.

According to the company, out of approximately 600 employees across 19 affiliates, including GS Caltex, GS Retail, GS E&C, GS Energy, GS EPS, GS E&R and GS Global, 351 employees forming 83 teams participated.

This year's event aims to provide employees with the opportunity to experience how AI can transform their work life and build their confidence given the rapid integration of AI into daily life.

In addition, some 30 digital innovation experts from GS Group, including user experience designers, information technology developers and design thinking coaches, were on hand to provide advice to participants over the two-day event.

Hackathon participants discuss ideas for their projects with team members at a Seoul hotel on Wednesday. (GS Group)

During the event, participants discussed a wide range of ideas, from improving work process efficiency with AI to enhancing customer experiences at convenience stores, gas stations and construction sites, as well as ideas unrelated to work -- all observed during their work environments and everyday lives.

One participant from GS Caltex said, "I joined this year's event with team members from last year. This time, we aim to create a program through AI that helps fathers participate more actively in child care."

Teams were formed with three to five members from the same company or in mixed teams with individuals from different affiliates under GS Group. Before the event, they underwent a two-week preorientation to learn about generative AI tools and design thinking methodologies to develop their ideas.

Winning teams are to be announced July 24. To develop their results into practical business models, they will also be presented to the executive board later this year. The intellectual property rights of the results will belong to GS Group, the company said.

"It's crucial for every employee to gain experience in using digital and AI tools to improve their work and business as part of transforming the company's overall culture to be more digitally friendly," said Kim Jin-ah, head of GS Group's open innovation team, which designed the hackathon.