Kakao Unveils Kanana AI Assistant, Plans Global Tech Integration

Yongin, South Korea—Kakao Corp (035720. KS) has announced the launch of its new artificial intelligence brand, "Kanana," and plans to introduce an AI assistant service by the end of the year.

The company disclosed the specifics of the new service at its annual developer conference, "if(kakaoAI)2024," held at its AI campus in Yongin. 

CEO Shin-a Chung presented Kanana at the conference as an AI platform designed to facilitate personalized, relationship-based interactions.

The new AI service will feature two distinct AI assistants: "Nana" is designed for one-on-one conversations, while "kana" is optimized for group chats. 

Both assistants are equipped with voice interaction and document comprehension capabilities.

Kakao plans to initially release Kanana as a standalone application separate from its popular KakaoTalk messaging platform. 

Internal testing (dog fooding) will commence by the end of 2024.

The company announced its AI model lineup, which includes language models codenamed Flag, Essence, and Nano. 

Due to its exceptional global-level performance capabilities, the company plans to implement the Essence and Nano models across its services.

Kakao Entertainment demonstrated voice model technology featuring the voice of K-pop artist Wonyoung Jang. 

At the same time, Kakao Pay (377300. KS) outlined plans for AI-powered financial advisory services, including insurance management and investment consultation.

The company introduced "Safe Guard by Kanana," a content filtering system that uses machine learning to assess interaction risks on a scale of 0 to 1. 

This allows for customized safety measures across different services.

Kakao Mobility, a subsidiary, is currently testing 11 autonomous taxis in Seoul's Gangnam district, Pangyo, Daegu, and Jeju. 

It plans to expand operations through 2024 and 2025.

The company's AI commerce initiative is scheduled to launch next month. 

The service will provide personalized gift recommendations based on previous interactions and contextual events, such as housewarmings, graduations, and weddings.

In line with the "Kakao AI Safety Initiative" framework, the company has implemented comprehensive risk assessment protocols that cover the entire lifecycle of AI systems, from design to deployment and updates.

The company has announced that its Kakao Developers Platform is connected to 75,000 services and 45 million users, with over 3.5 billion interactions processed monthly through its login and sync APIs.

The company intends to launch Kanana as a standalone application distinct from its well-known KakaoTalk messenger. 

It plans to conduct internal testing at the end of 2024, indicating a cautious approach to market introduction. 

The rollout strategy integrates multimodal capabilities and visual generation models across the company's service portfolio.