AI Messenger App "Kanana" Released for Pilot Test
Call AI Mate "Kana" in Group Chats
Personal Schedules Managed by Assistant "Nana"
Travel Planning and Location Recommendations Available
Main Screen Familiar to KakaoTalk Users
Accuracy Still Needs Improvement
Official Launch Planned After Enhancements
Kakao's artificial intelligence (AI) service "Kanana" has been released as a pilot test for general users. Kanana positions itself both as an "AI mate (friend)" for individual users and as a "group AI" that assists multiple users. On May 12, I personally tried out the Kanana application (app). Kanana does not run within KakaoTalk; instead, users need to download a separate app to use it. Even KakaoTalk users must sign up for Kanana separately. Conversations within Kanana are only possible between Kanana members.
The main screen displayed the chat rooms the user had joined. Below that, there were functions to create AI group chats according to different purposes, such as socializing, travel planning, self-development, and investment. For those who have only used AI chatbots like ChatGPT, which continue conversations through a single input window, this screen felt both unfamiliar and familiar. It was unfamiliar in that it was a new form of AI chatbot, but it was easy to view because it resembled the chat window of KakaoTalk.
Ask "Kana" anything in the chat window
The method of using the AI chatbot in the chat room involved calling the AI mate "Kana" during the conversation. Users can invite others to the chat and talk as they would on KakaoTalk, and call Kana for help at any time. Kana provides relevant information based on the conversation exchanged between users in the chat room. It is also possible to call Kana in a chat room where the user is alone.
For example, assuming you are planning a summer vacation, you can create a chat room and enter details such as "Planning to go on summer vacation around August 15th, the Liberation Day holiday" and "Want to relax at a seaside resort rather than in a crowded city," then call Kana. When I asked, "Please recommend a summer vacation spot," Kana remembered the previous conversation and recommended major tourist destinations with ocean views. At the end of the location recommendations, Kana also provided sources for the resort descriptions cited by the AI. Kana was also able to provide information on flight prices, accommodations, and even create a travel itinerary all at once.
It was also possible to provide information based on conversations with other users. In a group chat, after discussing plans to watch a movie in Hongdae with another user, I asked, "Please recommend a movie theater near the meeting place," and Kana selected and recommended theaters near Hongdae. When I followed up by asking for dinner recommendations near the theater, Kana automatically understood the previous conversation and suggested a pasta restaurant near the theater. The answer even included summarized reviews of the restaurant from KakaoMap.
If you want more personalized answers, call "Nana"
In addition to using AI services in chat rooms, users can also receive help from a general AI chatbot. This is done through "Nana," located at the top of the Kanana main screen. By clicking on Nana in the app's main screen, users can have direct conversations, and Nana specializes in providing more personalized answers by remembering user information. Like an AI assistant, Nana can register events on a calendar or set reminders at specific times. It is also possible to secretly call Nana for help in group chats. By pressing the plus (+) button and then the "Whisper" button, users can call Nana, and conversations with Nana are not shared with other chat members. The whisper function can also be used to summarize the content of group chat conversations.
Users can also choose the "personality" of Kana and Nana. In the window for selecting conversation guidelines with Nana, users could choose a tone such as "like an expert," "like a counselor," or "like a friend." Kana's tone could also be selected during the process of creating a group chat. For example, in a group chat for planning a trip, users could select a "planner-like" tone to match the purpose.
Since the service is still in the pilot stage, there were issues such as inaccurate information or the inability to provide the latest information. For example, when I asked for movie recommendations while booking tickets, Kana suggested past movies that were no longer showing in theaters. Even when I changed the question to "Recommend the latest action movies," Kana still recommended movies whose screenings had already ended. When I requested real-time information with a question like "Tell me the movies currently showing at A Theater," Kana replied, "Unable to find movie information."
The Kanana service uses both OpenAI's language model and Kakao's own language model simultaneously. Depending on the user's request, the appropriate model is automatically selected and processed. Kakao is accepting Kanana sign-ups on a first-come, first-served basis during the pilot test, gathering user feedback, and plans to launch the official version once the service reaches a certain level of completion.
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