TLDR: GS Group has launched its 4th Hackathon, a major initiative championed by Chairman Huh Tae-soo, to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence into its business operations. The event, themed ‘PLAI: Play with GenAI,’ saw a record 837 participants from various affiliates and external organizations, focusing on developing practical generative AI solutions for real-world business challenges.
Seoul, South Korea – GS Group commenced its 4th Hackathon on September 8th, 2025, a two-day event held at Parnas, Westin Seoul, aimed at embedding artificial intelligence (AI) deeper into its business landscape. This year’s hackathon, the largest in the group’s history, underscores Chairman Huh Tae-soo’s vision to foster an AI ecosystem where innovation is both impactful and enjoyable.
The theme for the 4th Hackathon is ‘PLAI: Play with GenAI,’ emphasizing the application of Generative AI across various workplace functions to drive innovation. The event attracted an unprecedented 837 participants, forming 256 teams, including employees from all GS affiliates and external organizations. Participation saw a significant increase, with 428 individuals attending on-site and another 409 joining through an online remote league held last month, demonstrating a strong voluntary engagement from executives and employees.
Over approximately 30 hours, participants are tasked with a comprehensive process, from defining problems and presenting innovative solutions to creating functional service prototypes using Generative AI. The competition floor buzzed with diverse ideas aimed at enhancing customer experience and improving work efficiency across various sectors, including gas stations, convenience stores, and construction sites.
To facilitate the development of cutting-edge solutions, GS Group introduced its proprietary AI transformation (AX) platform, ‘MISO,’ and integrated ‘v0,’ a vibration coding tool provided by global tech company Vercel. This strategic inclusion aims to boost the completeness and practicality of the hackathon’s outcomes, enabling even individuals without extensive development experience to generate code and web interfaces using natural language.
Chairman Huh Tae-soo, a staunch advocate for AI integration, emphasized the practical application of AI in business. He stated, “When Generative AI is combined with a member’s field domain knowledge, the key to solving the problem can be found.” He further added, “AI is only valued when it is used in real business.” Chairman Huh reiterated GS Group’s commitment to actively developing and sharing platforms and successful cases to contribute significantly to the advancement of Korea’s AI ecosystem.
GS Group highlights that while much of the national AI discourse centers on foundational infrastructure like semiconductor chips and large-scale language models (LLMs), the true value of AI is realized through its practical utilization in the field. The hackathon, now in its fourth year, has evolved beyond a mere idea contest into a crucial platform for participants to gain hands-on experience in identifying problems and solving them with AI.
The group’s ‘5pen2novation GS’ (52g) organization, dedicated to spreading digital innovation, provides essential tools, education, and communities. This structured approach supports a wide range of initiatives, from minor field improvements to the exploration of new business opportunities. A key characteristic of GS’s innovation strategy is the sharing and dissemination of successful outcomes across its various affiliates.
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Excellent teams selected from the hackathon will receive group-level support to implement their innovative solutions, further solidifying GS Group’s commitment to fostering a vibrant and practical AI-driven future.
