Kakao is taking aggressive steps to integrate artificial intelligence into its workforce operations. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean tech giant Kakao announced on October 23 that it is taking aggressive steps to integrate artificial intelligence into its workforce operations, signaling a major shift in how one of Asia’s leading technology companies approaches AI adoption.
Speaking at the company’s annual developer conference “if kakao AI 2024″ at Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Chief Technology Officer Jung Gue-don outlined an ambitious vision that goes beyond merely adding AI features to existing services.
“In this rapidly evolving AI era, Kakao’s goal is to become ‘AI Native,’ where AI naturally permeates users’ daily lives,” Jung said during his keynote address. “We’re making this a core mission within Kakao itself, ensuring AI becomes an organic part of our organization.”
The company has developed its own AI Native Maturity Level index, a notable initiative among Korean corporations. The framework consists of four stages: exploration, application, innovation, and daily integration. According to Jung, Kakao is currently transitioning from the application phase to the innovation stage.
This month, Kakao implemented two internally developed AI tools: AI Buddy and Code Buddy.
AI Buddy integrates scattered corporate data to streamline various administrative tasks, including human resources management, welfare systems, and internal regulations. It also provides automated features for document searches, translations, and meeting room reservations.
The company also revealed that its unified AI brand Kanana encompasses multiple AI models, including three large language models (LLM), three multimodal language models (MLLM), two visual generation models, and two voice models.
“We expect 2025 to be a pivotal year when Kakao accelerates its AI service implementation,” Jung said.
“This transformation will fundamentally change how we work and think within the organization.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
