Kakao Corp. Partners With OpenAI To Enhance AI Integration

According to Odaily, South Korean company Kakao Corp. has entered a strategic partnership with OpenAI to integrate OpenAI's models into Kakao's platforms, including KakaoTalk and the upcoming AI assistant, Kanana. The collaboration aims to develop AI-driven products tailored for the South Korean market. During a joint press conference in Seoul, Kakao CEO Jeong Shin-ah and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman outlined the partnership's objectives, emphasizing accessibility and innovation in artificial intelligence. The companies plan to leverage OpenAI's latest AI models to enhance Kakao's services, with Kakao adopting ChatGPT Enterprise as part of its transition to an "AI-native company." This partnership coincides with Japan's SoftBank announcing the formation of a joint venture named SB OpenAI Japan, a day prior. This 50-50 collaboration aims to promote AI services and plans to deploy an AI system called "Cristal Intelligence" across SoftBank subsidiaries, including Arm Holdings and PayPay, with an initial budget of $3 billion annually. Additionally, recent reports indicate that SoftBank is in discussions to invest between $10 billion and $25 billion in OpenAI, potentially making it the largest supporter of the AI company.