Wadiz, 2025 was a year defined by the keyword 'expansion'. Through the global service launch, we connected makers and supporters across over 200 countries. We also introduced the AI agent WAi, beginning to transform the entire funding process.
Amidst these changes, Wadizposed one question:'Is simply introducing AI enough?'
Rather than treating WAi as a mere work tool, we began exploring how all team members could use it together to establish standards and direction. As an extension of this, we organized the year-end event, the 'WAi Championship'. This event was an opportunity to collectively shape how Wadizwill work in the future, complementing and collaborating with AI. We'll now share that story with you.
Want to race with AI? We're the 'racer,' WAi is the 'F1 machine.'
Race with WAi in Pangyo!
The concept for this WAi Championship was clear: it was 'F1'. F1 is the world's premier automobile racing series. It's not just a race about speed; it's a sport where the driver's judgment, the machine's performance, and the team's strategy must all work together seamlessly to complete the race.
In this championship, our members were the 'racers' and WAi was the 'machine'. Running on their respective work tracks,they turned how they had used WAi throughout the year and how they would tune it forward into a single race.
What mattered most in this race wasn't who understood AI better, but rather examining how the experience we've built through our work could synergize with AI's responses, and finding ways to improve WAi by identifying points for development in a better direction.
Preliminary Round START! – Nine Days Spent Talking with WAi Every Day
The WAi Championship qualifiers ran for 9 days from December 9th to 17th. To participate in the qualifiers, simply log into WAi, try it out, and share your thoughts!
Submit any errors or areas needing improvement via 'Leave Feedback'. Participate in quizzes and attendance checks within the app to steadily accumulate points.
The quizzes were based on the 'KMS' (Knowledge Management System), Wadizservice policy guide containing its policies and operational standards. When unsure of the answer? You could ask WAi and find the answer through conversation.
For this WAi Championship, the Technology Development Team developed a Flutter-based 'WAi' app for members. We captured the 'WAi' app, which played a vital role as the machine, on video.
* Flutter: An open-source UI framework developed by Google that enables the creation of applications for various platforms (iOS, Android, web, desktop, etc.) using a single codebase.
The 'WAi' app developed by the Technology Development Team for the WAi Championship
It was also reported that team members ended up talking to WAi almost every day during the preliminary period, as they found themselves asking WAi whenever they had questions while solving quizzes.
With real-time leaderboards showing my score and ranking, top racers fiercely competed to hold their positions and climb even higher. Seeing the live standings displayed against the backdrop of an F1 circuit made me feel like a real racer (?) too.
The WAi Championship Leaderboard, where I could check my and my team's rankings in real time
During the preliminary period, you could check the rankings in real time via the live board in the company cafeteria. Since individual and team scores were updated instantly, you naturally found yourself checking where you stood in the rankings each day.
During the preliminary period, you could check the real-time championship rankings at the company cafe.
The steamed bun event to warm up the morning commute, combined with a group photo mission, naturally sparked friendly competition between teams. All members participated in the WAi Championship at their own pace.
Surprise event during the preliminary round – Take a photo of our team and get a steamed bun!
Group photo of teams who are serious about steamed buns 📸
The process was just as important as the score. Some visited WAi once a day, others whenever they felt like it, solving quizzes and asking various questions about Wadizpolicies to check their answers. The feedback accumulated during this process became the material for refining WAi in a better direction.
The WAi Championship finish line we all crossed together with the 2025 Year-End Party
The Christmas photo zone with WAi, and the stars of the best shots: Pro Shin Hye-seong (right) and Pro Kim Je-min (left) 📸
On December 19th, the WAi Championship finals were held alongside the 2025 Year-End Party. Prior to the finals, various side events prepared by the HR team took place, heating up the atmosphere from the very start.
WAi Championship Life's Four Shots and Christmas props were ready at Jin-gook's Photo Studio
A photo booth was set up at one corner of the event venue, where attendees could take commemorative photos at the photo zone and the 'Life's Four Shots' booth. Thanks to the thoughtful props that helped create a festive Christmas atmosphere, the photo booth saw a steady stream of people coming to capture memories with their colleagues.
And now, the WAi Championship Finals officially begin!
Members who had been racing from their respective positions gathered in one space to compete in the final race. It was a particularly meaningful time, as everyone came together after so long.
The WAi Championship Finals, held after a long time with everyone gathered together
The finals were also divided into individual and team competitions, similar to the preliminaries. The individual competition involved accessing the 'Live Event'created within the WAi app and solving KMS (Knowledge Management System) quizzes in real-time to earn points.
The solo exhibition held in real time on the WAi app
From multiple-choice to essay questions and true/false quizzes, we solved all problems within the allotted time using the 'WAi' app, including the process of checking answers together. If any questions arose while solving problems, we could quickly ask WAi and even get hints for the correct answers!
Whenever the correct answers were revealed in real time, laughter and gasps filled the finals venue.
During the team events, we temporarily set aside the WAi app and moved on to games requiring teamwork and quick thinking.
From guessing the person in childhood photos of Wadiz to K-pop quizzes where participants had to name the song after hearing a snippet, the atmosphere grew even more heated as team members put their heads together to participate.
Which racer clinched the ultimate victory in the WAi Championship?
Before the announcement of the overall first place winner, CEO Shin Hye-seong shared brief remarks reflecting on the WAi Championship.
After all the fiercely contested races concluded, prior to announcing the overall winner, CEO Shin Hye-seong shared a brief reflection on the WAi Championship: "This championship was a time when all members directly participated and collaborated to shape how we work with AI. "
Ms. Kang Won-hye, the top-ranked professional, and the CEO, with a commemorative photo of the round-trip Tokyo flight award 📸
And now, the highly anticipated announcement of the overall first place winner!
Throughout the preliminary and final rounds, the protagonist who ran alongside WAi most consistently and accurately was Kang Won-hye, a professional from the Service Design Team.
Professional Kang Won-hye, who took first place overall, received a round-trip ticket to Tokyo, Japan on Korean Air as her prize, and was greeted with loud applause and cheers. 👏👏👏
Mr. Kwon Yong-hyeok of the Technology Development Team, who secured first place overall in the preliminary rounds
Beyond the overall first place, various awards were presented. From the top qualifier, perfect attendance award, and best feedback award to the team that shone with outstanding teamwork, every member who completed the race in their own way was a hero. The award gifts, featuring products popular Wadiz, made it a moment to share Wadizachievements once again.
The Way We Work with AI, Co-Created Through the WAi Championship
The WAi Championship saw remarkable participation from its members. A total of 192 members, representing 95% of the entire membership, installed the WAi app. During the preliminary round, 183 members participated in attendance checks, and 129 members took part in the quiz program. Furthermore , approximately 300 improvement suggestions were submittedthroughout the preliminary and final rounds, with some leading to actual service enhancements.
The WAi Championship provided an opportunity for employees to naturally utilize AI within their own work, rather than viewing it as a vague or difficult subject. Moving forward, Wadizplans to build aWadizAI organizational culture'by treating AI not as a technology to replace people, but as a partner that expands our judgment and experience.
