KakaoBank Launches Financial Sector's First Conversational Search Service 'AI Search'

KakaoBank Provides Information on Products, Services, and Diverse Financial Insights
'AI Search' Service Now Accessible via Apple Intelligence
"Delivering a New Financial Experience with Another Wave of Innovation"

KakaoBank is introducing the financial sector's first conversational search service powered by generative AI. With this, the company aims to completely revamp the user experience for its customers.

On May 26, KakaoBank announced the launch of 'AI Search,' a conversational search service equipped with generative AI, marking a first in the financial sector. Developed after being designated as an innovative financial service by the Financial Services Commission in December 2024, 'AI Search' is the starting point for a series of AI-powered services that the company plans to roll out throughout the year.

'AI Search' is a service that allows users to ask questions about KakaoBank in everyday language and receive answers from advanced AI. The service provides not only answers tailored to the questions but also a list of follow-up questions, making it easy for customers with limited financial knowledge to understand.

Users can access information not only about KakaoBank's products and services but also about the broader financial sector. For example, if a user asks, "What types of repayment methods are there for credit loans?" the service will provide an explanation of KakaoBank's credit loan services, a list of different repayment methods for credit loans, and follow-up questions such as "What documents are required to apply for a credit loan?" and "How are interest rates determined for credit loans?" This is expected to be especially helpful for financially vulnerable groups, such as teenagers and the elderly, who may hesitate to use financial services due to unfamiliar terminology.

The service can be accessed directly from the search bar under the 'All' tab in the KakaoBank application. After entering a query in the search bar and selecting 'Ask AI,' users are automatically connected to a chat window. Only verified customers aged 14 or older can use the service. If personal information such as resident registration numbers, account numbers, or mobile phone numbers is entered, or if hate speech or discriminatory language is used, the service may not provide a response.

The service is even more convenient when using Apple Intelligence. Since April 2025, users have been able to connect KakaoBank with Apple Intelligence, allowing them to call up 'Siri' and ask questions such as "Search in KakaoBank" or "Search for mortgage rates in KakaoBank" by voice, without having to launch the KakaoBank app separately. This automatically connects users to the 'AI Search' page within the KakaoBank app, where answers are provided.

KakaoBank has applied RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) technology to ensure that 'AI Search' provides more accurate answers. RAG is a technology that enhances the performance of large language models (LLMs) by adding data sources. By incorporating KakaoBank's proprietary data sources, the service generates answers tailored to the financial industry. KakaoBank plans to continue updating documents within its data sources and advancing its technology to further improve the accuracy of its answers.

The company has also ensured robust security. The system is designed so that customers' financial information is not stored on external servers, fundamentally preventing information leaks through 'AI training.' In addition, repeated verification has been conducted to defend against both internal and external hacking attempts. As a result of these efforts, KakaoBank successfully passed the security evaluation by the Financial Security Institute in April 2025.

In June 2025, KakaoBank will launch the 'AI Financial Calculator,' which allows users to solve financial calculations through conversation. The 'AI Financial Calculator' provides results calculated by AI for complex financial information such as interest, exchange rates, and monthly repayments. Unlike traditional bank 'financial calculators,' which require all input values to be entered, this service can interpret the user's intent and provide answers even if some conditions are left blank.

KakaoBank stated, "Since our launch, we have been enhancing our services with the goal of making finance easier and more convenient. Through the AI-based services we are introducing, we will deliver another wave of innovation."