On the 11th, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) presented a report titled 'The Gap in Utilizing Generative AI between Large and Small Enterprises: The Role of Capabilities and Organizational Environment', based on a survey of approximately 3,000 wage workers aged 20 and older across the nation. The findings reveal a significant utilization gap of 13.8 percentage points between large (66.5%) and small companies (52.7%) in leveraging generative AI. This data presents a pressing call for the development of conducive conditions for AI utilization within smaller enterprises.

Importantly, when considering other influencing factors, such as company support systems and individual employee capabilities in prompt engineering, the raw utilization rate difference attributable to company size diminishes to about 4 percentage points. This indicates that with the appropriate organizational backing, small businesses can effectively harness AI to the same extent as larger corporations.

The report also highlights that in companies where a proactive environment for AI usage is nurtured, the likelihood of employees utilizing AI increases by 15.5 percentage points. Additionally, when companies offer subsidies such as subscription fees, the probability of AI usage rises by 8.1 percentage points. Employees' individual capabilities in prompt engineering (23.5 percentage points) and their acceptance attitudes (21.4 to 40.0 percentage points) are also demonstrated to significantly enhance AI utilization. These findings emphasize that workforce training and a supportive infrastructure are crucial for maximizing AI's potential.

The disparities in support environments starkly reflect the deficiencies of small businesses in terms of AI resources. Research into generative AI adoption policies and workplace conditions reveals that around 70.4% of small enterprises lack a roadmap for implementing generative AI, notably higher than the 54.4% in large firms. Both categories show a lack of systematic AI strategy development, but this shortfall is particularly pronounced among small businesses.

Moreover, differing trends emerge in how reduced workloads, thanks to generative AI, are allocated in large and small firms. While both groups prioritize investing time saved into improving existing work quality (32.6% for large firms, 29.5% for small), the subsequent priorities diverge; large firm employees allocate time to new projects (22.6%), whereas their smaller counterparts favor personal relaxation (27.3%).

Regional and sectoral polarization is also apparent, with a 9.2 percentage point gap in AI usage between large and small firms in the service industry, contrasted by a 24.2 percentage point gap in manufacturing—a significant 2.6-fold difference. Furthermore, small enterprises outside the capital region show notably lower utilization rates (47.8% compared to 57.3% in the capital).

To address these disparities, KCCI's economic research arm advocates for comprehensive strategies from both the corporate and governmental levels. The report recommends expanding specialized AI training courses under employment insurance and implementing customized programs aimed at non-capital regions and manufacturing sectors. Additionally, it suggests simplifying the requirements for subsidies related to AI subscription fees and tools to enhance accessibility for small enterprises.

KCCI emphasizes that it is critical for interim measures to ensure that time savings from AI do not merely lead to increased leisure but translate into tangible business advancements. This can be achieved through performance-linked job redesign and the establishment of incentive systems for sharing internal expertise. As a vital recommendation, KCCI underscores the importance of aligning closely with the government's upcoming 'Everyone's AI Project', set to launch in the second half of this year, which aims to be freely available and serve as a practical momentum for small businesses.

In closing, KCCI's Economic Research Institute Director Park Yang-soo stated, “The gap between large and small enterprises in AI utilization stems from organizational environments influenced by corporate policies and support systems, rather than individual attitudes.” He emphasized that a meticulous institutional design integrating conducive environments for adoption and employee capability enhancement is essential.