IBM aims to offer safe, reliable AI management with Watsonx

IBM is seeking to tap into a corporate market that wants a cost-effective, safe way to utilize AI.

IBM Korea CEO Lee Eun-joo speaks at the IBM AI Summit Korea held at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas in Southern Seoul on Tuesday. [IBM]

IBM is seeking to capitalize on the global corporate search for a way to deploy AI in all aspects of their systems as the burgeoning technology continues to advance from its pilot stage.

The computing giant’s generative AI platform Watsonx may offer such a solution by helping companies manage AI smartly, according to IBM Korea CEO Lee Eun-joo on Tuesday.

“There are many challenges that hinder AI adoption,” Lee said at the IBM AI Summit Korea held at Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas in Southern Seoul. “To successfully implement AI, companies are deliberating on how to approach and prepare their data, whether they can trust the AI-generated results and decisions from automation, and ways to manage generative AI cost-effective.”

The U.S. tech giant is approaching this market with its hybrid cloud offerings and Watsonx. Instead of directly providing generative AI models or services, it seeks to help enterprises easily deploy and manage AI.

“A telecommunications company in Europe shortened the waiting time of 800,000 monthly calls by 30 percent and improved customer satisfaction by 40 percent,” Lee said. “IBM developers worldwide are utilizing Watsonx to generate code 50 percent faster and HR departments have improved contract drafting speeds by 80 percent."

IBM perceives the domestic AI trend to be a corporate focus on cost-effectively utilizing AI while safely protecting data, and favors small language models that can efficiently carry out the tasks.

"If companies were only focused on improved performances last year, now they are weighing other options such as AI credibility and cost-effectiveness,” said Kim Ji-kwan, head of IBM's AI technical SME. “[Moreover], bills that regulate AI are anticipated to be passed in Korea. IBM’s strategy is to keep a close eye on domestic circumstances and provide a platform where clients can govern AI.”

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]