Kakao plans to integrate OpenAI's ChatGPT into its messenger app KakaoTalk, allowing users to interact with ChatGPT directly from the chat tab within KakaoTalk without having to launch a separate app. The AI feature will be added to the chat tab in the form of a ChatGPT icon and will be designed in a way that users can interact with the chatbot in a natural way, just like chatting with a friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The integration will be officially announced at ifKakao25, the company's annual developer event taking place in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, from April 23rd to 25th. This is the first collaboration between Kakao and OpenAI, and is the result of a strategic alliance announced in February. At that time, Kakao announced its intention to apply ChatGPT technology to its services, and this launch marks the company's first full-scale commercialization of AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"ChatGPT-based AI service will create new user value by combining with Kakao's relationship-centered conversation experience,\" said Kakao CEO Hyung-Ah Shin during the last earnings call, and announced plans to make the service available before the next earnings call. The service is expected to launch before November at the latest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kakao is also considering expanding the use of ChatGPT beyond the chat tab by combining it with the Shop (#) search function. The goal is to provide more sophisticated search results by fusing ChatGPT with Kanana, a large-scale language model developed in-house, which is being evaluated as an attempt to shift the paradigm of the search experience beyond just utilizing chatbots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with the launch of ChatGPT, KakaoTalk is also announcing changes to the overall app structure. Of the five existing tabs, the Friends tab will be reorganized into a feed space centered around daily sharing, and the other tabs will be reorganized around short-form content. This is an attempt to expand KakaoTalk from being just a messenger to a social network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These changes are expected to increase the length of time users spend on KakaoTalk and positively impact our revenue structure. This is because the longer users spend on KakaoTalk, the more profitable existing services such as emoji purchases, gift giving, and ad exposure will become. Furthermore, new business models such as shopping and content consumption are also expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, some are cautious about whether the change will actually change users' behavior. \"Even with ChatGPT, it remains to be seen how often users will use AI features within KakaoTalk,\" said an industry insider, \"and socialization may not meet expectations unless there is a new and strong differentiator.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n