"Disease Control Headquarters' 'KakaoTalk Channel' Popularity Surges Threefold in One Month"

Chatbot Provides Real-Time Responses When Asked COVID-19 Related Questions Like a Conversation

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Amid growing public anxiety about the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's (KDCA) KakaoTalk channel is gaining popularity. Since introducing the artificial intelligence (AI) 'chatbot' feature that provides real-time consultations, the number of users has exceeded 840,000, receiving positive feedback for delivering real-time information.

The developer of the KDCA KakaoTalk channel, who introduced himself as 'Bart,' revealed on the 26th, "During the 'Alert' stage of the COVID-19 crisis warning, KDCA requested support via Kakao," adding, "The request was to enable accurate provision of proper information and guidance on countermeasures for COVID-19."

The KDCA KakaoTalk channel developed in this way can be accessed by searching for 'Jilbyeong Gwalli Bonbu' (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency) in the KakaoTalk friends menu and then clicking add. By clicking 'Chat' and entering questions as if conversing, the chatbot responds in real-time to various inquiries about COVID-19.

Kakao explained, "The KDCA website was somewhat slow to access, and the KakaoTalk channel was a general channel that only included 1:1 consultations, making communication difficult," describing the situation at the time. In the case of 1:1 consultations, since a counselor must respond directly, quick replies are difficult when many users connect simultaneously. In contrast, the 'chatbot' uses AI to respond, allowing real-time provision of information on users' questions.

For example, if you ask 'confirmed cases status' in the actual chat window, the current status and related data about confirmed patients appear. Typing 'Seoul clinic' displays a map of nearby clinics.

The KDCA KakaoTalk channel has also upgraded its ability to improvise answers to questions the chatbot cannot respond to. Kakao stated, "Previously, through the 'Knowledge+' answer function, similar pre-input Q&A responses were simply sent out, but in the KDCA KakaoTalk channel, the Knowledge+ setting was turned off, allowing users to select answers." For instance, if a user asks, "What is corona?" the chatbot presents related questions for the user to choose from, improving the accuracy of responses.

The KakaoTalk channel's user base has rapidly increased as the COVID-19 situation intensifies. Users have nearly tripled from 300,000 at the end of last month to 840,000 now. Kakao added, "We have also equipped functions to handle the increasing traffic," and expressed hope that it has been helpful to the KDCA, which is doing its best in COVID-19 prevention efforts.