Kakao announced AI assistant services 'Kanana Space' and 'Kanvas' on the 13th at the if(kakao)26 conference held in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The company plans to transform KakaoTalk into an integrated AI platform that handles daily tasks through voice commands, starting with a closed beta test in December. CEO Jeong Shin-ah stated the initiative aims to expand the connections Kakao has built over the past 15 years into a new dimension, emphasizing a shift toward AI services that understand individual preferences and contexts.
Kakao Announces Kanana Space AI Assistant
Kakao unveiled 'Kanana Space' and 'Kanvas' as personalized AI agent services at the if(kakao)26 conference in Yongin. Kanana Space functions as an AI assistant accessible from any KakaoTalk screen by swiping with two fingers, which summons a Ryan character interface. Users can request message sending, schedule management, web searches, and KakaoTalk settings changes through voice or text commands.
CEO Jeong Shin-ah stated: "Over the past 15 years, Kakao has built connections, and we want to expand them to a new dimension." She emphasized the transition to AI services that understand individual preferences and situations. The company opened pre-registration on the 13th and will conduct a closed beta test (CBT) in December with selected users.
Kanana Space Features Voice-Activated Tasks
The service organizes schedules and tasks based on KakaoTalk conversations, providing guidance from running plans considering weather and exercise records to school pickup times mentioned in family chat rooms. It can filter unread messages for work-related content, draft and send replies, and retrieve past mentions of family birthdays or requests.
For shopping tasks, users can say "Order water" and the system selects products based on previous orders, applies available coupons, and completes the purchase and payment process. Kakao plans to expand functionality to include product orders, gifts, reservations, and money transfers.
Kim Dae-nyeon, Kakao's Design Leader, explained: "The goal is to enable easy use of KakaoTalk's various functions with a single spoken command without learning new methods."
Kanvas Enables Custom AI Agent Creation
Kanvas, announced alongside Kanana Space, allows users to create and run custom AI agents on PC. When users describe needed tasks, the AI combines appropriate tools and functions to configure an agent that performs work within permitted boundaries. The system automates repetitive tasks and requests user confirmation only at critical steps.
Kanvas will enter CBT by year-end. In the first half of next year, Kakao plans to enable use of agents created with Kanvas as well as agents developed with external frameworks within KakaoTalk.
Kakao Develops Proprietary AI Models
Kakao is advancing its proprietary AI model 'Kanana' to support these services. The company links lightweight models operating on smartphones with large models to improve computational efficiency. Development includes 'Kanana-o,' which processes text, images, and voice in an integrated manner, and 'Kanana Live,' a real-time bidirectional voice technology that performs listening and speaking simultaneously.
The company is also building 'Project Mosaic,' which connects user memories and experiences into contexts that AI can utilize, along with a safety framework ensuring AI agents work only within user-permitted boundaries.
CEO Jeong stated: "By adding 'intelligence' that understands each person and works according to individual needs on top of 'connections' for everyone, we will enable anyone to experience AI in their familiar daily lives."
FAQ
What did Kakao announce on the 13th?
Kakao announced AI assistant services 'Kanana Space' and 'Kanvas' at the if(kakao)26 conference held in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on the 13th. Kanana Space functions as an AI assistant in KakaoTalk accessible via two-finger swipe, while Kanvas allows users to create custom AI agents on PC.
When will Kanana Space beta testing begin?
Kakao opened pre-registration on the 13th and will conduct a closed beta test (CBT) of Kanana Space in December with selected users. Kanvas will enter CBT by year-end, with plans to support external framework agents in KakaoTalk in the first half of next year.
What tasks can Kanana Space perform?
Kanana Space handles message sending, schedule management, web searches, and KakaoTalk settings changes through voice or text commands. It organizes schedules from conversations, filters work messages, drafts replies, and can complete shopping orders with payment by selecting products from past purchases and applying coupons.
