Kakao will introduce a feature that allows artificial intelligence to recommend restaurants and complete reservations directly within KakaoTalk conversations.
According to the information and communications technology industry on the 17th, Kakao plans to update its on-device AI service "Kanana in KakaoTalk" on the 21st. The update will first be applied to the iOS version.
Through this improvement, Kakao plans to strengthen integration with its own services including KakaoTalk Reservation and enhance AI performance in understanding conversational context.
When users ask Kanana in KakaoTalk to recommend restaurants or places during a conversation, various options are immediately presented in the chat window. For stores registered with KakaoTalk Reservation, a button for instant booking is provided. This enables users to handle everything from location search to reservation in a single chat window, effectively implementing an "agent-type AI" service based on conversational context.
Additionally, a new feature will integrate the daily morning "Suntalk Briefing" with KakaoTalk Gift to display friends' birthday information and recommend gifts. Kakao's strategy is to use this service as an opportunity to build an AI ecosystem connecting various services including conversation-based shopping and reservations.
Kakao launched beta testing for Kanana in KakaoTalk in October last year. Kanana in KakaoTalk is a service that recognizes moments when users need assistance within KakaoTalk and proactively reaches out. Its key feature is that users can conveniently access the service within KakaoTalk without installing a separate app.
Regarding this, Kakao CEO Shina Chung said during the earnings conference call on February 12 last year, "Commerce was the scenario with the highest proportion among agents running on Kanana in KakaoTalk." She added, "In the first half of the year, our goal is to more actively explore contexts where transactions can occur."