Kakao AI 'Kanana', Blending into Your Chats

The world is changing in the blink of an eye. We, who were making calls on our cell phones yesterday, are now accustomed to messengers today, and now, an era where AI deeply penetrates those conversations has swiftly arrived. Without even a moment to prepare. Kakao began the Closed Beta Test (CBT) for its new AI service, 'Kanana', starting May 8th. Unlike existing AIs that primarily remained in 1:1 conversations, 'Kanana' distinguishes itself by delving into the complex matrix of human relationships within group conversations. 'Kanana' has been designed as an 'AI Mate' to assist you in both individual and group chatrooms. It operates under the name 'Nana' for individuals and 'Kana' for groups. These two AIs subtly grasp the context of conversations to provide optimal responses. The personal mate 'Nana' exists not only in individual conversations but also in group chatrooms, remembering your information to offer customized responses. The group mate 'Kana' is active in all group chatrooms you belong to. It plays an all-rounder role, summarizing conversations with study groups, clubs, family, and friends, and assisting with tasks like setting meeting schedules or locations. For example, when a running club discusses a marathon event, 'Kana' autonomously registers the schedule and even provides reminders. It can also recommend new running courses or periodically share information when asked for event schedule notifications. A particularly interesting feature is the ability to have a 1:1 conversation with the personal mate 'Nana' through whisper mode, even within a group chatroom. This would be extremely useful for quickly getting a summary of conversations you joined late or for obtaining additional information about ongoing discussions. 'Kanana' can be easily registered with a Kakao account, and you can freely set the personality and tone of voice for your mate. It's even possible to directly input your desired style, such as 'friend-like', 'expert-like', 'mood maker', or even 'adolescent-like'. The core of this service is that the more you use it, the more deeply the AI mate will understand you. This realizes the vision of a 'hyper-personalized service that understands me,' and provides the experience of AI growing beyond a mere tool into a true companion. Kim Jong-han, Kanana's Performance Leader, emphasized, "Our goal is to make human communication more natural and meaningful through AI," and revealed plans to actively incorporate user feedback during the CBT period to enhance its completeness. Beyond 'Kanana,' Kakao is accelerating the expansion of its AI services. Following the 'AI Mate Shopping' beta service, 'AI Mate Local' is scheduled to be unveiled within the year. The strategy is to expand the scope of existing businesses and enhance user experience by launching AI mates in various specialized fields, starting with shopping and local information services. Furthermore, through a strategic alliance with OpenAI, Kakao aims to advance its AI technology, and plans to maximize user convenience through the development of AI agents that encompass the entire Kakao ecosystem. The world continues to evolve without stopping. Just as yesterday's innovation becomes today's routine, it is anticipated how Kakao's 'Kanana' will establish itself in our daily lives and relationships, and how it will transform our communication methods. A new companion for the digital age is quietly approaching us now.