Naver (035420.KS) is ending its conversational artificial intelligence service "Clova X" as the company accelerates its strategy to advance and expand its AI business. Based on experiments conducted through Clova X and other services, the company plans to focus on a "Vertical AI" strategy that integrates AI into its own platforms.
"We extend our deep gratitude to customers who have been part of the Clova X journey," Naver said on the Clova X homepage Wednesday. "The Clova X service is scheduled to end at 2 p.m. on April 9, 2026."
Clova X is a conversational AI service launched as a beta experiment in August 2023, providing portal search-related information and everyday conversations in a dialogue format.
"Since August 2023, Clova X has served as a laboratory for Naver's AI model HyperCLOVA X, exploring various possibilities for AI use in daily life," Naver said. "Now we want to continue experiments that create value for HyperCLOVA X across broader industries."
Naver is strengthening its AI strategy by integrating AI into existing platforms such as search, shopping and finance, moving beyond standalone AI services. While Clova X started as Korea's first Korean language-specialized model, the company said it served more as an experiment to explore possibilities and accumulate related technology and experience rather than as a finished service.
"We confirmed the potential for AI use in daily life through Clova X, and now we are moving into a phase where we need to deliver results beyond experiments," a Naver official said. "We will expand and advance industry-specific AI services in areas including public services, finance, healthcare and shopping."
Naver has introduced AI recommendation features in its shopping service and is expanding "AI Briefing" and "AI Tab" in search, with plans to apply AI agents across various domains. The company plans to launch "AI Tab," a conversational AI search service, in the first half of this year, then expand to Place, maps, healthcare, finance and other services.