"Travel Plans Done in 1 Minute"... Big Tech's All-Out Effort to Develop AI Assistants [AK Radio]

Fierce Competition to Dominate AI Assistant Market
Annual Growth Rate Exceeding 47%

Global big tech companies have jumped into the competition to develop AI agent (AI assistant) services. From giants like Google, Microsoft (MS), and Meta to startups such as OpenAI, Entropic, and Anthropic, the race to dominate the market is intensifying.

An AI agent is an intelligent software that can independently decide and perform necessary tasks based on user instructions. Unlike traditional AI chatbots that only provided predetermined answers, AI agents search for and analyze information tailored to the user's goals and can even execute tasks directly. For example, if instructed to schedule a team meeting, the agent checks attendees' calendars, finds available time slots, and even reserves a meeting room. Various AI agents supporting overall work such as document creation, data analysis, and schedule management are emerging.

Google is developing an agent under the codename "Project Jarvis," named after the AI assistant "Jarvis" from the movie Iron Man. According to insiders at Google, Project Jarvis controls the web browser to perform tasks such as collecting research materials, purchasing products, and booking flights on behalf of users. Jarvis can take screenshots of the computer screen based on human commands, interpret them independently, and click buttons or input text. The service, which will improve processing speed and enable booking airline tickets or purchasing products from shopping sites, is expected to be launched as early as the end of this year or early next year.

MS recently announced an AI autonomous agent at the "MSAI Tour London" event held in London, UK. This agent can independently judge and act to execute and coordinate business processes on behalf of individuals, teams, or departments. For example, without sales representatives' involvement, the AI assistant researches priorities and sends personalized sales emails, or automatically tracks supplier performance and responds proactively to delays without procurement staff.

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is also developing assistant software that can autonomously perform cursor movements, clicks, text input, and other tasks. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, explained in May, "The condition for a killer AI app is a highly competent colleague who knows my entire life, all the emails I receive, and every conversation I have, handling some tasks immediately and asking me back when necessary."

AI startup Entropic recently released a demonstration video on YouTube. With just a single command, it found a one-week hiking course to see the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The AI assistant independently searched Google for hiking courses, checked sunrise times, and created a calendar invitation with detailed information to send to a friend. All these tasks took less than 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Domestic companies have also joined the AI agent development race. Kakao unveiled its next AI service app, "Kanana," on the 22nd. Kanana extracts and remembers key information from users' previous conversations and uses it to provide optimized responses tailored to each user. SK Telecom launched a service called "A." under the concept of "My own AI personal assistant." When users tell the assistant about meeting appointments or tasks, it automatically adds them to the schedule and provides estimated travel times and arrival times by different transportation modes as the appointment time approaches.

Naver released the AI model "CLOVA X Plus" in August. According to Naver, CLOVA X Plus provides more specialized answers in specific areas. Furthermore, Naver has applied CLOVA X Plus to several services, naming them agent services, and currently offers services such as document understanding assistants and AI erasers.

NHN's collaboration tool subsidiary NHN Dooray recently unveiled "Dooray AI" on the 15th, equipped with artificial intelligence technology. With just one button press, the AI automatically summarizes complex email content and registers schedules in the calendar. Pressing the encrypt, export, or import buttons in the messenger organizes responsible persons, references, and tasks into projects. Users can create chatbots based on company regulations, manuals, and work reports to exchange questions and answers. By pressing the action guide button, it suggests tasks automatically, and upon user approval, it adjusts task priorities or sends messages like "Please confirm," automating the work itself.

According to a report published by the market research firm Global Information, the AI agent market, which was valued at $4.1 billion (approximately 6 trillion KRW) last year, is expected to grow at an annual rate exceeding 47%, reaching $61.8 billion (approximately 86 trillion KRW) by 2030. Market research firm Gartner selected agents as one of the top 10 technology trends for next year and predicted that the proportion of general consumers making daily decisions through AI agents will increase from 0% this year to at least 15% by 2028.

Industry experts consider AI agents as the service type most likely to dominate the AI service market. Just as the World Wide Web, developed through internet technology, dominated the service market and became synonymous with the internet, and Microsoft dominated the market by launching Windows after various OS technologies were developed to facilitate PC functions, the market values service preemption. If a differentiated service attracts users first, it is expected to dominate the market for the next 20 to 30 years.

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