KB Financial Group chief calls for firm to become 'cradle of AI talent' as KB AI Lab launches

KB Financial Group Chairman Yang Jong-hee said "in the AI era, every experience becomes data, and those who make good use of that data are the ones who gain a competitive edge."

Yang made the remarks Tuesday at the 2026 First-Half Group AI and Data Innovation Seminar, held at the KB Kookmin Bank annex in Yeouido, Seoul, according to KB Financial Group. He added that the group would "spare no effort in education and talent development so that KB Financial Group can become a cradle for nurturing AI talent."

Yang also pledged to "actively support all employees so they can continuously learn and grow, and create new value together with AI."

The seminar showcased major innovation cases from KB Financial Group in which AI agents and data have been applied to actual work, based on the group's AI strategy "KB With AI." The event was livestreamed to all affiliates via YouTube Live, and employees attending in person had the opportunity to experience "KB DAVIS" and the "AI Dev Center," which were shared as examples of workplace innovation.

Yang, who has long taken a keen interest in AI, regularly attends digital and data-related seminars to hear firsthand from staff, and he engaged directly with employees at Tuesday's event as well.

KB Financial Group also launched "KB AI Lab" on Tuesday, a hands-on training program designed to develop core AI talent. Targeting employees who have completed the top-tier AI Expert course under the group's AI education framework "KB AI Academy," the program aims to have participants identify real on-the-job challenges and build AI services applicable directly to actual work.

The program runs two weeks of intensive training followed by roughly 10 weeks of practical project work. Given its hands-on nature, participants are expected to continue refining their outputs even after completing the program, helping to spread an AI-driven work culture across the entire group.

KB Financial Group plans to roll out KB AI Lab to all of its affiliates in stages, continuously strengthening frontline AI execution capabilities.

A KB Financial Group official said the group "will continue to deliver better financial services to customers through AI- and data-driven workplace innovation."