Getty Images Bank Kakao announced its leap forward as an AI-centered company by unveiling the artificial intelligence (AI) messenger app ‘Canana’. Overseas companies such as Meta and Snap are also trying to improve their services by introducing AI into messenger apps. The strategy is to increase the time users spend on the app through AI.
○Kakao unveils AI messenger ‘Kanana’
According to the information technology (IT) industry on the 11th, Kakao released the AI messenger app Canana on the 22nd of last month. Canana, which is scheduled to begin closed testing (CBT) in the first quarter of next year, is expected to play a key role in Kakao’s AI business. Kakao’s goal is to become an ‘AI native company’ by combining AI with its know-how in developing and operating messenger apps. Lee Sang-ho, performance leader of Canana Lee Sang-ho, performance leader of CananaX, is explaining the AI messenger app ‘Canana’ at the developer conference ‘If Kakao’ held on the 22nd of last month. /Provided by Kakao Kanana is characterized by AI providing personalized answers based on the context of conversations between users. Most currently released AI services only have one-to-one conversations between models and users. To receive personalized answers based on conversations with other people, you must separately enter information into AI. In contrast, Canana’s AI automatically responds by considering the context of the user’s conversation with friends, coworkers, etc. Since the content of the conversation is used for AI responses, all conversations must be accepted by the other party to begin.
Canana applies two models, AI ‘Nana’ and ‘Kana’, that support individual and group conversations. Nana acts as the user’s ‘personal assistant’. For example, if you ask Nana, “Tell me your schedule for today,” based on what was shared in the chat room, “I have a lunch date at Restaurant A in Gwanghwamun, Seoul at noon, and a meeting at the company office at 5 p.m. “I need to prepare a copy of the survey at the meeting.” On the other hand, Kana provides assistance by analyzing conversations only within specific chat rooms. For example, in study group chat rooms, quizzes related to papers read together are presented, and in chat rooms between couples, date schedules and locations are recommended.
The name of Canana contains the meaning of ‘AI that is most like me.’ It is a combination of the company name ‘kakao’, ‘native’ which means ‘learn from me, think and act like me’, and ‘natural’ which means ‘technology that can be used naturally’. Built.
○’Increase app use time with AI’
Global big tech companies are also enhancing the functions of messenger apps with AI. In April, Meta integrated AI chatbot ‘Meta AI’ into its messaging platforms such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct Message (DM), and WhatsApp. Meta AI is designed to allow users to easily ask questions and get answers in chat rooms. This method asks for the necessary information after entering ‘@Meta AI’ in the message input window. For example, if you say “@Meta AI tell me a good park for a picnic near here” while talking to a friend, the AI will recommend a park near you. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a conference call announcing third quarter earnings on the 7th, “The number of Meta AI users around the world has exceeded 500 million.”
The reason why overseas companies apply AI to messenger apps is because it can increase app usage time. An industry insider said, “As most users use messenger apps for free, the key is to increase usage time as much as possible to increase advertising sales.” He added, “If all of the user’s needs are resolved within the messenger app by internalizing AI, usage time can increase.” and analyzed.
The industry is concerned about a decrease in KakaoTalk usage time due to the launch of Canana. Kakao seems to be aware of these concerns and is considering introducing a subscription-based revenue model to Canana. This is because it is believed that it is possible to generate additional revenue by introducing a subscription model as it supports services that can increase user productivity beyond simple conversation functions.
Overseas, AI is being added to messenger apps and used for subscription products. Snap, an American company that operates the messaging app ‘Snapchat’, launched the AI chatbot service ‘My AI’ in February last year and first released the feature only to Snapchat Plus subscribers. My AI has been released to all users, but the ability to pin or delete an AI chatbot from your chat room list is still available only to Snapchat Plus subscribers.
Reporter Hwang Dong-jin [email protected]
