KB Financial Group Chairman Yang Jong-hee on Friday stressed his will to nurture young tech talent in the field of artificial intelligence, calling digital finance not an option but a must for the financial giant’s sustainable growth.

"IT and digital are no longer means to support the bank, but a core sector that will lead the businesses at the forefront," the chairman said at the group’s AI forum held in Seoul on Friday. "We must shift our perspectives from in-person to online in all the businesses and transform the consumer experience, spanning our products, user interface, and user experience, in accordance."

"In regards, it is essential we continue our efforts in training and empowering IT and digital experts,” he added.

The KB Tech Forum for Young Leaders aims to share the group’s research work on digital finance. Marking its fifth year, this year’s event was themed “Growth of 2030 Developers in Generative AI Era,” with some 200 company officials in attendance.

Friday’s event also included AI innovation school Aiffel founder Kim Seung-il's keynote speech on the future talent of generative AI and a session for the developers to share experiences and insights.