Korea's top 30 conglomerates have witnessed a significant surge in the number of artificial intelligence (AI) specialists appointed to executive management and board of director positions over the past year, as revealed by data released on Tuesday. According to the findings from Leaders Index, a local business analysis and research center, there are now 187 executive-level managers with expertise in AI, marking a substantial increase from 89 specialists reported in the first quarter of 2023. These AI specialists now represent 1.6 percent of the total number of top 30 group executives, totaling 11,343 executives. Among the conglomerates, LG Group leads with 55 AI expert executives, notably including those working at LG AI Research and LG Electronics. SK Group follows closely with 53 AI expert executives, largely attributed to the establishment of a new AI Infra division by SK hynix. Other prominent conglomerates with a notable presence of AI specialists include KT, Samsung Group, Hyundai Motor Group, and Naver. For instance, Samsung Group has 19 executive-level AI experts, with a significant portion working for Samsung Electronics. This data underscores the growing emphasis on AI expertise within the leadership of Korea's major conglomerates.