Kakao Shuts Down Conversational AI Service 'Kanana,' Focuses on Enhancing New AI Offerings

[Financial News] Kakao will end the beta service for its artificial intelligence (AI) agent app 'Kanana' next month. The move comes about 16 months after the service was launched in May last year. The company is expected to focus on enhancing its commercialized AI services, including 'Kanana in KakaoTalk,' 'ChatGPT for Kakao,' and 'PlayMCP.'
On the 15th, Kakao announced that it would discontinue the Kanana app and PC service on October 15.
Kanana is a conversational AI service that understands the context of individual and group chats and provides users with optimized responses. Its AI companions, divided into the personal companion Nana and the group companion Kana, offered various features, including voice-based conversations, an AI Studio that generates images, and special companions for tasks such as booking vehicle maintenance.
Kakao explained the background to the shutdown, saying, "As the domestic and global AI markets are changing more rapidly and diversely than ever, Kakao aims to move on to the next stage of providing users with a deeper AI experience, based on the technical capabilities and user feedback gained from operating the Kanana app service." The company is understood to be shifting its focus to other AI services after determining that Kanana faced limitations, including a decline in monthly active users (MAU) after its launch, contrary to its initial goal of increasing the time users spent on the app.
Kakao said, "The valuable experience accumulated through the Kanana app service has already been integrated into Kakao's various AI services, allowing them to reach more users," adding, "Technology commercialization is actively progressing through Kanana in KakaoTalk, which officially launched in March, as well as ChatGPT for Kakao and PlayMCP. We are also rapidly expanding the agent ecosystem together with various partners."
In practice, Kakao is focusing on attracting users to new AI services such as Kanana in KakaoTalk. Based on an on-device AI model, Kanana in KakaoTalk understands the context of users' conversations and proactively suggests information they may need. It provides a daily morning schedule briefing and helps users search for information or receive product and place recommendations during KakaoTalk conversations. It also supports everyday tasks, such as changing KakaoTalk settings. Users can access the service by selecting 'Kanana' in the AI section of the 'Friends' tab, the first tab in KakaoTalk.
Kakao plans to continue enhancing Kanana in KakaoTalk. It will add AI features that improve convenience in daily life, including personalized briefings. The company also plans to work with various partners to implement agentic AI that understands users' intentions and connects them with product and service recommendations through to purchase.
[email protected] Jang Min-kwon Reporter