Kakao launches AI assistant Kanana Space with December beta test. 2026-10-12 20:59:57 Key takeaways. * Kakao announced AI assistant services Kanana Space and Kanvas on the 13th at if(kakao)26 conference in Yongin. * Kanana Space performs message sending, schedule management, web searches through voice or text commands via KakaoTalk. * Kakao will conduct closed beta test for Kanana Space in December and launch Kanvas CBT by year-end. Kakao announced AI assistant services 'Kanana Space' and 'Kanvas' on the 13th at the if(kakao)26 conference held in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The company plans to transform KakaoTalk into an integrated AI platform that handles daily tasks through voice commands, starting with a closed beta test in December. CEO Jeong Shin-ah stated the initiative aims to expand the connections Kakao has built over the past 15 years into a new dimension, emphasizing a shift toward AI services that understand individual preferences and contexts. Kakao announces Kanana Space AI assistant. Kakao unveiled 'Kanana Space' and 'Kanvas' as personalized AI agent services at the if(kakao)26 conference in Yongin. Kanana Space functions as an AI assistant accessible from any KakaoTalk screen by swiping with two fingers, which summons a Ryan character interface. Users can request message sending, schedule management, web searches, and KakaoTalk settings changes through voice or text commands. CEO Jeong Shin-ah stated: "Over the past 15 years, Kakao has built connections, and we want to expand them to a new dimension." She emphasized the transition to AI services that understand individual preferences and situations. The company opened pre-registration on the 13th and will conduct a closed beta test (CBT) in December with selected users. Kanana Space features voice-activated tasks. The service organizes schedules and tasks based on KakaoTalk conversations, providing guidance from running plans considering weather and exercise records to school pickup times mentioned in family chat rooms. It can filter unread messages for work-related content, draft and send replies, and retrieve past mentions of family birthdays or requests. For shopping tasks, users can say "Order water" and the system selects products based on previous orders, applies available coupons, and completes the purchase and payment process. Kakao plans to expand functionality to include product orders, gifts, reservations, and money transfers. Kim Dae-nyeon, Kakao's Design Leader, explained: "The goal is to enable easy use of KakaoTalk's various functions with a single spoken command without learning new methods." Kanvas enables custom AI agent creation. Kanvas, announced alongside Kanana Space, allows users to create and run custom AI agents on PC. When users describe needed tasks, the AI combines appropriate tools and functions to configure an agent that performs work within permitted boundaries. The system automates repetitive tasks and requests user confirmation only at critical steps. Kanvas will enter CBT by year-end. In the first half of next year, Kakao plans to enable use of agents created with Kanvas as well as agents developed with external frameworks within KakaoTalk. Kakao develops proprietary AI models. Kakao is advancing its proprietary AI model 'Kanana' to support these services. The company links lightweight models operating on smartphones with large models to improve computational efficiency. Development includes 'Kanana-o,' which processes text, images, and voice in an integrated manner, and 'Kanana Live,' a real-time bidirectional voice technology that performs listening and speaking simultaneously. The company is also building 'Project Mosaic,' which connects user memories and experiences into contexts that AI can utilize, along with a safety framework ensuring AI agents work only within user-permitted boundaries. CEO Jeong stated: "By adding 'intelligence' that understands each person and works according to individual needs on top of 'connections' for everyone, we will enable anyone to experience AI in their familiar daily lives." Faq. What did Kakao announce on the 13th? Kakao announced AI assistant services 'Kanana Space' and 'Kanvas' at the if(kakao)26 conference held in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on the 13th. Kanana Space functions as an AI assistant in KakaoTalk accessible via two-finger swipe, while Kanvas allows users to create custom AI agents on PC. When will Kanana Space beta testing begin? Kakao opened pre-registration on the 13th and will conduct a closed beta test (CBT) of Kanana Space in December with selected users. Kanvas will enter CBT by year-end, with plans to support external framework agents in KakaoTalk in the first half of next year. What tasks can Kanana Space perform? Kanana Space handles message sending, schedule management, web searches, and KakaoTalk settings changes through voice or text commands. It organizes schedules from conversations, filters work messages, drafts replies, and can complete shopping orders with payment by selecting products from past purchases and applying coupons. Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third-party sources and is for reference only. It does not represent the views or opinions of Gate and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Virtual asset trading involves high risk. Please do not rely solely on the information on this page when making decisions. For details, see the Disclaimer.

Civic group files complaint against Kakao over alleged privacy law violations. By Lee Gyu-lee * Published Oct 12, 2026 2:58 pm KST A civic group filed a complaint against Kakao with the privacy watchdog on Monday, alleging that the tech giant's corporate advertising service uses personal data to target users without their consent. The Seoul YMCA said it urged the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) to investigate KakaoTalk's Brand Message service and impose strict sanctions if violations are confirmed. The group said Kakao replaced its previous channel-based advertising service, which limited promotional messages to users who had added a business's KakaoTalk channel, with Brand Message, which allows businesses to send ads without requiring users to follow their channels. It alleged that Kakao matches phone numbers provided by advertisers with its own user database to identify ad recipients, even though users had provided their numbers for basic messaging functions, not to receive third-party advertising. "The key alleged violations involve the unauthorized use of personal information and infringement of users' rights," the group said. "Although users agreed to provide their phone numbers for basic messaging functions when signing up, Kakao used them to identify advertising targets for outside businesses, in violation of Article 18 of the Personal Information Protection Act." The group also accused Kakao of generating users' ad engagement data, including message views and clicks, and sharing it with advertisers without the users' consent. It said the service lacks a feature allowing users to opt out of all Brand Messages at once, limiting their ability to control how their personal information is used. The allegations have not been independently verified. Reports of spam related to Brand Message topped 132,000 after the service was introduced, surging 2.5-fold in the first seven months of this year, according to data from lawmakers on the National Assembly's ICT committee. The group said of the 22 fines imposed on individual advertisers this year, 18, or 81.8 percent, involved sending ads through KakaoTalk without obtaining consent for advertising on that platform. "Individual advertisers have been fined after running campaigns based on Kakao's guidance, while Kakao itself has avoided legal liability despite reaping substantial profits from the service," the group said. The Seoul YMCA's recent survey found that only 16 percent of respondents did not see a problem with advertisers sending messages through KakaoTalk without users' prior consent, while 69 percent said government regulation was needed to address potentially illegal advertising practices. The group called on the PIPC to investigate the service's data-handling practices and order corrective measures, including a feature allowing users to opt out of all Brand Messages. It also urged the watchdog to consider suspending the service if the underlying problems remain unresolved. * Q. * Q. * Q.

New global thinking on child online safety. Iain Drennan September 23, 2026 Earlier this month, WeProtect Global Alliance Executive Director Iain Drennan spoke at the 2026 Children and Youth Online Safety Forum co-hosted by Kakao, the Teenage Women Human Rights Centre, and the Jeju Women and Family Research Institute in Jeju, Korea. The event was sponsored by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Kering Foundation and was attended by about 70 people, including representatives from the government, academia, civic groups and platforms. Iain shares his thoughts on his eventful and inspiring first visit to Korea: "During the trip I met with representatives from Stand Against Child Sexual Exploitation, the Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Kakao Corp, the Jeju Women and Family Research Institute, and Soyoung Park from the Korean Communications Standards Commission in Seoul, continuing conversations about how WeProtect can strengthen collective action to prevent child sexual exploitation and abuse. I was honoured to meet and discuss the issue with Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-Kyong. "What impressed me most was the depth of engagement and the empathy, with great efforts made to understand and integrate survivor and youth perspectives. Across government, civil society and the technology sector, there was a striking commitment to listening to victims and survivors and understanding what effective support looks like in practice. That is not easy: it requires trust, resources and resilience. "This is central to the WeProtect Global Alliance Model National Response. Victim and survivor support is not an optional addition to a national response - it is a core capability. Prevention, law enforcement and prosecution are essential, but a response cannot be truly effective if it does not have the capacity to support children and adults who have experienced abuse, respond to their needs and help them recover. "I was therefore particularly pleased to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, deepening collaboration between the Korean government and WeProtect Global Alliance. "Its conversations with all these key stakeholders have given me a much richer understanding of the work happening in Korea and the opportunities to collaborate. WeProtect can all learn a great deal from Korean experience and progress. "I'm encouraged by the expertise and commitment I've encountered, but particularly by the humanity at the heart of these conversations. That is an essential foundation for building stronger national responses and, ultimately, a safer environment for children. "Thank you to all the wonderful partners I met at the event for their welcome, wisdom and deep commitment to our shared mission to tackle technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse."