Seoul, South Korea - Naver (KRX: 035420) will launch its generative AI-powered search service 'CUE:' this November, with closed beta testing (CBT) starting in September.
The announcement, made at TeamNaver's DAN 23 conference, outlines Naver's roadmap for the future of its search capabilities and positions the company at the forefront of AI search competitiveness.
Why it matters.
The company is gaining attention from a global tech ecosystem perspective for beating Google in the South Korean search engine market.
This is an exceptional case in the global market, except for China and Russia, where the government regulates invisible barriers.
This launch is part of Naver's ongoing efforts to develop its search technology, reflecting a broader trend in the industry toward AI-powered, personalized search experiences.
The Key Points
Initiative 1: Transition to AI-powered search.
Since 2017, Naver has focused on transitioning to AI-powered search and enhancing the user experience with advanced technology.
Adopting personalized AI recommendation technology in various industries has strengthened the competitive edge in the market.
- Utilized technologies such as AiTEMS, AiRS, and AiRSPACE to enhance search.
- Used multimodal AI and vision AI to improve the usability of image and text search.
- Introduced Air Search, which evolved into Custom Search two years later.
- Demonstrated competitive advantage in AI search through continued innovation.
Initiative 2: Introduction of 'CUE:' as an advanced AI search solution
Naver's 'CUE:' is an upcoming service designed to understand complex queries and provide structured and three-dimensional search results.
It emphasizes user assistance rather than simple information retrieval.
- Designed to understand long queries with multiple intentions.
- Implemented a three-step process to minimize "hallucination" in generative AI.
- Achieved a 72% reduction in hallucinations in internal testing.
- Represents a shift from information presentation to active user guidance.
Initiative 3: Create a flexible and improved search experience
“CUE:” is designed with features such as SmartBlock and SearchFeed to provide a more flexible and interactive search experience.
Connecting to various Naver services improves the efficiency of various activities.
- Provides venue booking, shopping, and navigation functions.
- Focuses on a faster, more interactive search experience with personalized content.
- Enables connections to Naver services such as Commerce, Local, Pay, and UGC.
- It aims to streamline local information search, travel planning, and product comparison.
The Big Picture
With a keen eye on technology trends and user experience, Naver continues to position itself as a prominent player in the increasingly competitive world of AI and search.
Naver's 'CUE launch marks a significant step in the technology landscape and demonstrates its ongoing commitment to innovation in search engines.
The development of 'CUE:' may signal Naver's growth potential and strategic positioning to become a leading player in the AI search sector.
Jaeho Choi, Head of Naver's Search CIC, emphasized that 'CUE:' can be integrated with various Naver services such as Commerce, Local, Pay, and UGC, making activities such as finding local information, planning travel, or comparing products more efficient.
