Naver to apply AI technology in search and other key services

Seoul: South Korean tech giant Naver said on 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 customised answers to users’ queries, and launch a brand new AI briefing function in the first half of next year, reports Yonhap news agency.

The AI briefing function will deliver summarised, 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.

“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 commercialisation,” 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.

Meanwhile, Naver said it 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.

–IANS