Photo = Yonhap news

 

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Kakao’s much-anticipated AI mate service, "Kanana," will miss its originally planned internal testing timeline for this year. According to industry reports last Friday, the company is postponing the target schedule for the service’s internal testing. 

 

This marks a change from CEO Jeong Shina’s announcement two months ago at the "if(kakao)" developer conference on October 22, where she promised to conduct tests within the year.

A Kakao representative addressed the delay, saying, "We are currently undergoing QA processes and related procedures. We are aiming to carry out internal testing by the end of the year or early next year."

Unlike other AI agents that primarily serve as user assistants, Kanana is designed to significantly enhance communication between users, which analysts believe has contributed to the delay. Some observers suggest that Kanana is being developed with aspirations of becoming "the next KakaoTalk."

Additionally, Kakao has reportedly reassigned over 100 data specialists, previously involved in KakaoTalk, to the KananaX division. The Kanana team is divided into two units: KananaX, focusing on AI services, and KananaAlpha, specializing in AI model development. The KananaX division is led by Lee Sang-ho, a former SKT CTO who joined Kakao in March.

This personnel reshuffle highlights Kakao’s commitment to accelerating Kanana’s development. However, the company refrained from disclosing specific details about the reorganization.

 

 

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