"A service that allows users to find information and complete applications, reservations, and payments in one go by speaking to AI via KakaoTalk or phone will be launched this year. The three consortia selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT's 'AI for All' project—SK Telecom, KT, and Kakao—have unveiled their respective service blueprints.
The Ministry of Science and ICT held a meeting with operators of the 'AI for All' project on the 4th at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. On this day, the three consortia announced their service development plans alongside demonstrations of prototype videos. The Ministry of Science and ICT aims to launch services that all citizens can easily and conveniently use by the end of the year, supporting public-private cooperation to secure users, ensure data privacy and security measures, and link with public AI agents.
A common point among the three consortia is their aim to provide services where AI does not merely answer questions but also handles actual tasks. This approach resolves processes ranging from information search to application, reservation, and payment through conversation with AI. However, each consortium leveraged its own strengths in terms of how users connect with AI and the underlying technology.
The Kakao consortium utilizes KakaoTalk and phone calls, which are familiar to the public, as entry points for AI services. Based on domestic AI models such as Kakao's 'Kanana' and LG AI Research's 'EXAONE', it provides general-purpose chatbots and public/specialized AI agents. The service will handle everything from information search to application, reservation, and payment within a single conversation, and plans to gradually expand to individual AI agents and an open agent marketplace in the future.
The KT consortium introduced 'I-eum', which connects a general-purpose AI agent based on real-time search with specialized AI services in over 10 fields including public sector, education, finance, and shopping. It is based on 'Token Factory', an AI operation platform that integrates and operates various domestic AI models and GPU (graphics processing unit) and NPU (neural processing unit) infrastructures, automatically connecting the most suitable model according to user requests.
The SKT consortium highlighted 'Executable AI' that performs necessary procedures such as authentication, application, and payment on behalf of users. It also plans to introduce AI agent functions based on phone calls and text messages so that users unfamiliar with using apps or websites can utilize the service.
Bae Gyeong-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "What is most important is how easily citizens can access the service and how frequently they use it, and how much it actually helps in their daily lives." He added, "We ask everyone to work together to launch services by the end of the year, providing convenience in daily life for citizens and opening up a new domestic AI market for companies."
in TECH
