Kakao (035720.KS) is building what it calls an integrated agentic AI interface that will let users reach every part of their daily lives through KakaoTalk. The plan is to turn the messaging app into a personal assistant that handles calendars, information searches, orders and money transfers, with AI as the link.
Kakao CEO Chung Shin-ae delivered the first keynote at the if(kakao)26 conference, held on the 13th at the Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. "For the past 15 years, Kakao has connected people, daily life and online and offline experiences under the goal of connecting everything in the world," the CEO said. "Now we want to expand the connections Kakao has built into a new layer."
Kakao set the conference slogan as "Intelligence in Every Connection." The phrase reflects a direction of adding AI that understands the individual on top of the connections built through KakaoTalk, delivering experiences tailored to each user.
As core services for that goal, the company unveiled Kanana Space, an AI assistant, along with Kanvas, a PC-based service that lets users build and run AI agents themselves.
Kanana Space is an AI assistant built on KakaoTalk that users can summon anywhere and ask to carry out tasks on the spot. Swiping the KakaoTalk screen with two fingers brings up Ryan, the company's character, and users can make requests by voice or text, from sending messages to managing schedules, searching the web and changing KakaoTalk settings. Casual conversation with Ryan is also possible. Kakao plans to add characters drawn from a range of intellectual property later on.
The company plans to upgrade Kanana Space so that a single spoken request can place orders, send gifts, make reservations and transfer money. For example, if a user says "order bottled water" during a conversation about needing water at home, the assistant would pick the brand previously ordered, apply any available coupons and prepare the entire sequence from order to payment.
Kakao will run a closed beta test starting in December with some of those who sign up in advance. Applications open on the Kanana Space website from the 13th.
"Kanana Space aims to let anyone enjoy the help of AI in an easy way, without having to learn a new method of use," said Kim Dae-nyeon, who leads design at the company. "We want to make the many possibilities of KakaoTalk easier to tap with a single spoken request."
Kanvas is a service that lets users build and run agents directly on a PC. When a user describes what kind of agent is needed, Kanvas connects the matching tools and skills and assembles the functions required to run it. Agents created this way carry out work within the limits the user has allowed. Rather than overseeing every step, users can finish a task simply by checking in at key points, and can hand off repetitive work or everyday to-do items.
Kanvas is scheduled for a closed beta test with a small group of users as early as this year. Kakao is also preparing a feature that lets users share useful agents they have built. The aim is to foster a user-centered agent ecosystem in which experiences and ideas spread.
Kakao's goal is an integrated agentic AI interface that connects a range of agents to users' daily lives. Specifically, the company plans to create a new space within KakaoTalk in the first half of 2027 where teams of agents are connected for users. Agents built with Kanvas, as well as those built with other frameworks, will be supported so they can be used conveniently through a familiar interface.
Kakao is also preparing Project Mosaic, which links a user's scattered memories and experiences into meaningful context. The core idea is to pass only the information each agent needs, securely and within permitted limits, in line with the user's request and desired outcome, and to have agents with different roles collaborate while sharing a common context.
"Connection for everyone is a promise Kakao has kept, and an unchanging standard we will carry into the AI era," the CEO said. "By adding intelligence that understands each person and works to meet their individual needs on top of connection for everyone, we will make it possible for anyone to experience AI in their familiar daily life."