Naver to strengthen search, map, shopping services with AI

Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon delivers a keynote address for the DAN24 conference at COEX in southeastern Seoul, Monday. Yonhap Company unveils video clips of digital twin projects with Saudi Arabia By Nam Hyun-woo Naver will enhance its search, map and other flagship services with its own artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, as the platform giant seeks to distinguish itself among various emerging AI services vying for its leading position. Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon outlined those ideas on Monday during the DAN24 conference, a gathering of Naver affiliates across various industries.

Along with Choi, other leaders of Naver showcased the firm's latest AI technologies, promising to offer users fulfilling AI experiences. “After revealing our HyperCLOVA X, a hyperscale language model, last year, we have been testing dozens of generative AI products for users, sellers and businesses, and now we have entered the commercialization phase,” Choi said. “Now, Naver is introducing a broad lineup of generative AI technologies covering AI tools and solutions for users, creators and businesses, which we will call ‘on-service AI.



’ Naver aims to deliver an improved user experience and achieve tangible innovations, by breaking down the boundaries between online and offline and providing convenient, intuitive services that make it easier for users to find information and expand their potential in everyday life.” Naver's search department leader Choi Jae-ho introduces an AI briefing function during the DAN24 conference at COEX in southeastern Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo During the conference, Naver showcased new generative AI-based search functions that will combine the company’s current search functions with individualized recommendations.

Among them, the company said it will launch the “AI briefing” function, which provides AI-generated answers when a user searches for a certain keyword, during the first half of next year. For example, when a user searches “repotting monstera” on Naver, the AI briefing will understand the context of the keyword and provide summarized answers based on content posted on Naver’s blogs, cafes and other websites. It can also handle users’ long-tail, or more specific questions, such as “19-month-old baby keeps sleeping,” and provide answers on reasons and ways to address this situation.

Naver’s search department leader Choi Jae-ho said the AI briefing focuses not only on delivering accurate answers but also on displaying reliable references, so that it can highlight the source content. AI briefing will also support English, Japanese and other foreign-language searches, allowing international users to experience Naver’s new generative AI search function. During the conference, Naver also introduced a number of cooperative projects with global partner companies.

The tech firm is now developing digital twin and positioning systems for robotic applications with Saudi Arabia and Swiss robotics startup Swiss-Mile. Digital twin refers to a technology mirroring real-world entities in a virtual environment. Naver is collaborating with Swiss-Mile on digital twin and positioning technologies to support Swiss-Mile’s robots in aiding human tasks at worksites, including construction locations.

The company also showcased, for the first time, video clips from its digital twin collaboration with Saudi Arabian authorities, simulating flood scenarios in Jeddah and testing solutions for various administrative challenges in Medina. Naver is also set to work with Japan’s NTT East on projects to deploy robots and augmented reality guides in smart buildings. The company also revealed the Naver TwinXR platform, which integrates its digital twin solutions, AI positioning system and cloud services into a single platform.

Read More Naver logs quarterly high profit, eyes AI-driven commerce biz expansion Naver to set up Middle East HQ in Saudi Arabia Choi stressed that Naver will continue investing in AI services to provide more advanced and seamless experiences for users. “Naver has protected its position in the domestic search market by consistently investing in search technology,” she said. “As we did in the search business, we will continue to invest 20 to 25 percent of our (annual) revenue into R&D (research and development) to support technology development and strengthen the domestic AI ecosystem.

” Choi said the company’s investments into AI technologies will be represented in next year’s earnings. Meanwhile, Choi noted that the upcoming Donald Trump presidency in the United States will pose “a complex impact on Naver’s strategy,” and the company is now concentrating on predicting how the Trump administration’s economic policies will impact domestic advertising, which sways the company’s revenue. She also noted that there could be big differences in the regulatory environments of the U.

S. and Korea, as the Trump administration is set to encourage the mergers and acquisitions of Big Tech firms and deregulate their AI development, while Korea is toughening its regulations on platform service providers..