KakaoTalk's AI agent now weighs in on your relationship fights

A KakaoTalk conversation. Image generated with ChatGPT.

"It seems like your boyfriend lacked consideration here." That was the verdict from Kanana in KakaoTalk, Kakao's AI agent, when a 30-year-old user surnamed Kim asked it to analyze a lengthy exchange with her boyfriend and determine who was at fault.

When Kim followed up by asking what she should do, the agent offered a suggestion: "Rather than simply asking for an apology, it would be better to take a collaborative approach — something like asking, 'How can we make this relationship better?'"

The AI's capabilities go further. When a reporter shared the contents of a group KakaoTalk chat and asked for personality analyses of the participants, the agent responded: "Person A is a 'humor-driven realist,' Person B is an 'energetic leader type,' and Person C is a 'thoughtful supporter.'" It even ventured a Myers-Briggs assessment, noting that Person A's expressions — such as "I'm amazing" — suggested an ENFP personality type.

Kanana in KakaoTalk has received a sweeping set of new AI features. The agent can now summarize and analyze specific chat rooms and automatically adjust KakaoTalk settings on a user's behalf. Kakao, once dismissed as a latecomer to AI, appears to be making a serious push this month to expand its AI services within KakaoTalk using its proprietary Kanana model.

An example of Kanana in KakaoTalk. [Provided by Kakao]

Kakao updated Kanana in KakaoTalk on June 17 and loaded it with a range of new AI features, according to the IT industry.

The most notable addition is the ability to summarize and analyze specific chat rooms. Previously, the agent could only summarize unread messages. Now users can designate a particular chat room and receive both a summary and a deeper analysis of the conversation. After setting the time period to be analyzed, users can make requests such as "analyze the personalities" or "divide up the roles," and the agent will examine the conversation context and generate a response.

The update also adds KakaoTalk environment controls. If a user types "switch to dark mode" in the Kanana in KakaoTalk chat window, for instance, the app will make the change automatically.

A payment settlement feature is also available through integration with Kakao Pay. Users can ask Kanana in KakaoTalk to "send money to a friend" or "check if there are any amounts I need to settle," and the agent will connect directly to Kakao Pay's transfer and settlement functions. It also distinguishes between money the user is owed and money they need to send.

Schedule management is possible through a link with Kakao's Talk Calendar. If a user wants to add an appointment mentioned by the agent to the calendar, they can select "Add to Talk Calendar" to do so immediately. The agent is also connected to the Talk Wallet service, allowing users to pull up their digital student ID card by typing "show my student ID."

Inside Kakao's headquarters. [Provided by Kakao]

The new capabilities stem from an upgrade to the on-device AI model powering Kanana in KakaoTalk, which moved from version 1.0.7 to 1.1.0. A Kakao official said the company would "continue to add a variety of features with user convenience in mind, while also refining the model to improve the accuracy of proactive messages and responses."

Kakao plans to add a feature that will allow users to book and pay for accommodations directly through KakaoTalk conversations. The company recently revised its privacy policy with the aim of integrating the lodging platform Yeogieo ttae into Kanana in KakaoTalk.

With these moves, Kakao — long labeled an AI latecomer — appears to be entering a new phase of serious AI expansion, using this month as a turning point.

Kakao officially launched Kanana in KakaoTalk in March and has been steadily rolling out new AI features usable directly within KakaoTalk chat rooms. This month, it also unveiled a chatbot that lets users access ChatGPT instantly from within KakaoTalk, built on the company's alliance with OpenAI.

"Kakao is buying time for its own technology development through a two-track strategy — leading with ChatGPT to quickly raise service quality, while simultaneously advancing its proprietary Kanana model and integrating it into the Kakao ecosystem," an industry official said.

chami@heraldcorp.com