LG Uplus rolls out call assistant AI service ixi-O

LG Uplus CEO Hwang Hyeon-sik speaks during a press conference on new artificial intelligence service, ixi-O, at the company's headquarters in Yongsan District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of LG Uplus By Nam Hyun-woo LG Uplus on Thursday launched its self-developed artificial intelligence (AI) service, ixi-O, joining an intensifying competition for AI services among Korean telecom companies. The company’s CEO Hwang Hyeon-sik said ixi-O’s launch signifies the company’s fast transformation into “an AI customer experience company,” which provides application technologies that can actually improve customers’ experiences.

“Customers want a nice car they can actually sit in and drive comfortably, not just a powerful engine with wheels attached,” Hwang said during the press conference. “The same principle applies to AI. There are several powerful AI engines in the market, but what customers are really looking for are AI services that meet their needs .



.. Creating a service that can provide actual value to customers is what LG Uplus pursues in its AI business.

” In January, LG Uplus set up its new corporate goal of becoming a company that can provide value to customers through AI transition. Since then, the company has been pursuing projects across business-to-business and business-to-customer (B2C) areas, under Hwang’s objective of improving nontelecom revenues’ contribution to the company’s total sales to 40 percent within the next five years. “We will continue making investments toward AI down the road, and I believe we have to earmark at least 400 billion won ($286 million) to 500 billion won every year,” Hwang said.

“When this happens, we will be able to invest up to 3 trillion won by 2028.” Hwang noted that the latest service, ixi-O, will spearhead the company’s B2C sector. Designed as a personal AI agent, ixi-O focuses on providing AI-powered assistance during calls, such as AI call answering, voice phishing detection, call recording and summary functions, all within an on-device environment.

The AI call answering feature enables the ixi-O to answer calls on behalf of the user, engaging in conversations and summarizing key points of the conversations for later review. The real-time voice phishing detection feature analyzes the ongoing conversation, and if the AI detects a potential phishing threat, it warns the user, allowing them to end the call. Unlike existing spam blocking functions, this feature is based on real-time analysis of the conversation to identify phishing attempts.

Hwang expressed confidence that ixi-O will attract 1 million LG Uplus subscribers within a year, with the ultimate goal of expanding it to the entire customer base. Currently, the service is compatible with devices newer than the iPhone 14, and LG Uplus is developing an Android version. The company plans to roll out ixi-O in Korea first, but has yet to consider an international release, saying it will consider a global expansion once the service meets quality benchmarks.

“LG Uplus plans to pioneer the era of personal AI agents in the B2C sector,” an LG Uplus official said. “With ixi-O, the company aims to create distinctive customer value, based on the core telecom service of voice calls." Korea’s three telecom companies are now engaging in a heated competition for AI services.

Along with LG Uplus, SK Telecom is focusing its resources on its A. (A dot) AI agent, while KT has proclaimed its vision to transform into an AI transition service company..