– A survey on the use of generative AI to enhance the competitiveness of digital merchants.
60% of digital business owners say they need hands-on AI training.
The Platform SME Research Center of Kookmin University (hereinafter referred to as the Research Center) has published a report titled “The Current Status and Implications of Generative AI Utilization by Digital Merchants” (hereinafter referred to as the Report).
The research center conducted research to enhance the competitiveness of digital merchants amidst the expanding use of generative AI. The survey was conducted from July 11th to 17th among companies affiliated with the Digital Merchant Association.
The Research Center is a specialized research institute established with the goal of supporting the growth of digital merchants and fostering a healthy platform ecosystem. It continuously conducts data analysis, policy recommendations, research, and educational programs targeting digital merchants.
This report includes insights into the current state of generative AI use by digital merchants, challenges faced, and necessary support policies. It is particularly significant because it includes suggestions that will help small business owners utilize generative AI.
The survey results showed that all respondents were using ChatGPT and Midjourney in their work. The most common purposes for implementing generative AI were promotional content creation (93.3%) and design and prototype development (86.7%). This demonstrates the high demand for generative AI that can be immediately applied in practice.
When adopting generative AI, 60% of respondents cited "lack of usage methods and training." Furthermore, 86.6% of businesses found it difficult to immediately use the results generated by generative AI. This highlights the importance of hands-on training for digital business owners to effectively utilize these results in their work.
The report argues that practice-oriented training needs to be expanded through government support. Small business owners typically operate under limited resources, including time and personnel. Given the evidence that generative AI can be very immediate and effective in enhancing the competitiveness of small businesses, expanding the government's support system to focus on practical training could contribute to enhancing national competitiveness.
To strengthen the competitiveness of digital merchants, the research center plans to continuously promote training on the use of generative AI. To ensure the sustainable development of digital merchants, the center plans to expand research on platform ecosystems, services, and support policies for digital merchants. Furthermore, the research team plans to analyze issues related to digital merchants and publish the results regularly.
The report can be found on the Platform SME Research Center website.
Meanwhile, the research center plans to hold a seminar on the topic of “Collaboration and Growth of Online Platforms and Digital Merchants” on the 18th of next month.
You must be logged in to post a comment.