EY Korea survey reveals AI productivity gains hinge on talent strategy

Summary

A new EY Korea report argues that the real differentiator in AI performance isn’t model choice but people strategy, finding up to a 40% productivity gap between companies with robust talent approaches and those without. In a global survey of 15,000 employees and 1,500 employers across 29 countries, 88% of workers said they already use AI in daily tasks, but only 5% are using it in ways that truly transform how work is done; most usage is still limited to search and summarization. The study highlights a sharp skills and culture gap: just 12% of employees feel they receive sufficient AI training, and 37% worry that over‑reliance on AI could erode their expertise, suggesting that many firms are rolling out tools faster than they’re evolving incentives, learning and job design. EY’s takeaway is that companies treating AI purely as a cost-cutting lever risk commoditized outcomes, while those investing in training, experimentation time and new performance metrics are more likely to convert AI into durable competitive advantage rather than a short-lived efficiency play.([ey.com](https://www.ey.com/ko_kr/newsroom/2025/12/ey-korea-news-release-2025-12-16))