LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo told 40 top executives Wednesday that artificial intelligence is no longer optional - it is "a core axis that will determine our future competitiveness" - and ordered the group's leadership to move with speed on AI investment and execution.
The directive came during an eight-hour meeting of LG's CEO council at the LG Academy in Icheon, Gyeonggi. Executives from LG Corporation and major affiliates including LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Innotek, LG Chem, LG Energy Solution, and LG U plus gathered to review the group's investment strategy in what LG defines as its core AI battlegrounds: AI factories, physical AI, semiconductors covering materials and substrates, and AX, or AI transformation.
No more waiting on AI
Koo's message was direct. "AI is no longer an area we can choose whether to respond to," he said. "It is a core axis that will determine our future competitiveness. I want the CEO council to move with speed and execute relentlessly so we can win where it matters most in AI."
The executives spent the session reviewing past investment results and debating how fast the group should be moving. They agreed that investment decisions require a clear direction and portfolio strategy, backed by sharper scenario planning and verification. The market, competition, and underlying technology keep shifting, and the group's approach needs to account for that volatility.
People, not just technology
Amid the debate over pace, one point of consensus emerged: LG's AI push should remain focused on people rather than the technology itself. The goal, executives agreed, is to actually improve quality of life - a refrain that echoes LG's broader brand positioning but now carries specific weight in investment decisions.
For senior leaders navigating similar strategic pivots, the emphasis on human outcomes over technical capability matters. It signals that AI investment at LG will be measured against tangible improvements, not just technological milestones. This aligns with what many AI for Executives & Strategy frameworks emphasize: tying AI initiatives to business and human outcomes, not deployment metrics.
Quarterly council cadence
LG holds its CEO council meetings each quarter around a rotating core agenda. The March session focused on AX, June on research and development, and September on investment strategy. This rhythm is part of a broader effort to upgrade the group's business portfolio as AI reshapes competitive dynamics across its industries.
The structure itself is notable. Rather than treating AI as a one-off initiative or a technology project, LG has embedded it into the regular strategic cadence of its top leadership. For CEOs and senior executives, the takeaway is less about what LG is doing and more about how: making AI a standing item at the highest level of decision-making, with accountability tied to investment returns and portfolio direction. An AI Learning Path for CEOs can help leaders build the fluency needed to chair these conversations with confidence.
Why this matters for executives and strategy
LG's approach surfaces a concrete playbook: define your AI battlegrounds explicitly, review them quarterly at the CEO level, and anchor every investment decision to a clear portfolio strategy with scenario planning baked in. The group is not debating whether AI matters - it is debating speed, focus, and how to ensure investments improve actual lives. For executives building their own AI strategy, the meeting's eight-hour format and quarterly cadence suggest that AI governance is not a side agenda. It is the main event, and it requires relentless, structured attention from the top.
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