Kakao AI Highlighted at International Academic Conference in Japan... "Example of Public Value and Administrative Innovation"

Courtesy of Kakao [Financial News] The process by which Kakao’s services have combined with the public sector to support administrative innovation and expanded their role as public infrastructure has garnered attention at an international academic conference held in Tokyo, Japan. Kakao announced on the 31st that a research paper analyzing Kakao’s public values ​​and cases of administrative innovation was presented at the 62nd National Conference of the Japan Society for Management History, held at Hosei University in Tokyo.
The Japan Society for Management History is an academic organization where management historians gather to share the latest research, and this conference was attended by representatives from universities and research institutions in various countries, including Korea, the UK, Canada, and Switzerland. This research was jointly conducted by Dr.
Kim Sung-mi of the Department of Business Administration at Hiroshima Prefectural University and Professor Jeon Seong-min of the Department of Business Administration at Gachon University. It was presented under the title "From Intermediary to Infrastructure: Kakao's Social Institutionalization and Economic Impact.
" The research team examined Kakao's growth process over the 15-year period from 2010 to 2025, analyzing the historical and managerial mechanisms by which a private messenger, initially connecting people, has expanded its role into a "Digital & AI Transformation (DX/AX) infrastructure" through cooperation with the public sector. The research paper covered specific DX/AX cases created by Kakao in collaboration with the public sector.
As an example of administrative innovation utilizing AI, the "AI National Assistant," based on agentic AI and launched by Kakao in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, was introduced. The research team analyzed this as a case of transitioning from the existing application-based administration to proactive and customized administration.
The AI ​​National Assistant is an AI agent that allows users to access public services, such as issuing electronic certificates and reserving public facilities, via text or voice within KakaoTalk. The security of public data was also secured by applying the AI ​​guardrail model 'Kanana Safeguard'.
Regarding digital transformation cases related to tax and financial administration, Seoul's Nowon-gu 'KakaoTalk Delinquency Notification Service' was covered. 8% of the target.
The annual postage budget was also reduced by 49 million won (44%). This case has previously won the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award.
In the field of public security, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's 'Jjin Center' KakaoTalk channel was introduced. As a service that identifies impersonation and forged documents 24 hours a day and blocks phishing sites in conjunction with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), the volume of consultations tripled in one year, recording 6,717 cases per month.
In addition, the 'Public Skin' technology applied to the backgrounds of official KakaoTalk channels of public institutions such as the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, and the case of the smishing verification chatbot 'Bohonara' operated by KISA were also covered. Professor Minoru Shimamoto of the Graduate School of Business Administration at Hitotsubashi University in Japan, who chaired the presentation session, stated, "Kakao is an excellent example of creating public value, where private platform services are closely integrated into daily life to enhance public convenience and strengthen the social safety net.
" He added, "I hope that Kakao's practical examples will serve as academic yet effective resources that suggest the public role and policy direction of platform companies in the era of AI and digital transformation. " Daewon Kim, a policy leader at Kakao who also participated in the conference, said, "It is meaningful that the process of Kakao contributing to public value in daily life has been evaluated as a significant exemplary case by global academic experts.
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[email protected] Jang Min-kwon Reporter