Naver Corp. CEO Choi Soo-yeon speaks at Naver’s tech conference, DAN24, held in Seoul on Nov. 11, 2024, in this photo provided by the company. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean tech giant Naver Corp. said Monday it will integrate its self-developed artificial intelligence (AI) technology into its major services, including its search platform and shopping application.
Naver unveiled its so-called “On-Service AI” plan aimed at enhancing its major services with the cutting-edge technology at its tech conference, DAN24, in Seoul.
Under the plan, the Korean company will incorporate its hyperscale AI model, HyperCLOVA X, into its search engine to provide more customized answers to users’ queries, and launch a brand new AI briefing function in the first half of next year.
The AI briefing function will deliver summarized, AI-generated answers to user questions, along with sources to verify the credibility of the information.
The service will be initially available in Korean, English and Japanese upon its launch, according to company officials.
Naver Corp.’s headquarters in Seongnam, just southeast of Seoul (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Unlike conversational AI models, like ChatGPT, that focus on generating humanlike responses to queries, Naver is taking a different approach of using AI to further improve its search function to reduce hallucinations and provide more colorful answers based on different content, the company explained.
“We showcased HyperCLOVA X last year and after a year of testing our generative AI products with our users, sellers and business partners, we are now moving toward commercialization,” Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said.
“We are committed to breaking down the boundaries dividing the online and the offline and providing AI services that genuinely make people’s daily lives more convenient,” she added.
In the first half, Naver will also release an AI shopping application, Naver plus store, which will feature an AI powered shopping navigating function that helps users find products, promotion events and benefits tailored to their own needs.
Additionally, the company will update its mobile map application with its geospatial AI technology next year to digitally recreate offline locations and offer more accurate information about various destinations on its map.
Naver said it also plans to create an impact fund and invest a combined 1 trillion won over the next six years to help foster the growth of the country’s AI ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Choi said her company is closely monitoring the possible impact of the second Donald Trump presidency as the incoming administration is expected to lift regulations on Naver’s big tech rivals in the United States.
Amid deepening competition in the global tech market, Naver is committed to internalizing core technologies, like AI, with responsibility as a company that plays a significant role in creating and managing South Korea’s content industry, Choi said.
Naver plans to invest 20-25 percent of its sales in the research and development of AI, according to company officials.
(Yonhap)
