LG Uplus to develop Korean-style voice AI with Seoul National University, KAIST and Yonsei University

[Financial News] LG Uplus is teaming up with Seoul National University, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Yonsei University to develop next-generation voice artificial intelligence (AI) tailored to Korean. The plan is to develop voice AI technology that understands people’s speech styles, emotions and conversational context and responds naturally, then apply it to a range of services.
LG Uplus said on the 9th that it had launched the K-Voice AI Alliance with three domestic universities.
The collaboration aims to reduce reliance on overseas technology and secure voice AI technology optimized for Korean-language conversational environments. The participating institutions will establish performance evaluation standards for Korean-language voice AI and jointly develop the next-generation voice AI engine, K-Voice Engine, and related technologies.
Existing voice AI converts people’s speech into text, generates a response and then delivers it as speech. This process has limited conversation because responses can be delayed and pronunciation can sound unnatural.
Recently, voice-to-voice (V2V) technology, which directly understands human speech and responds with speech, has been drawing attention. It can enable more natural communication by recognizing not only what is said but also intonation, emotions and conversational context.
As part of the joint research, Seoul National University will develop technology that enables AI to converse in a speech style and voice suited to the situation and respond naturally while listening to the user. KAIST will study technology that enables AI to determine whom to respond to when several people are talking together and maintain context by remembering earlier content, even in long conversations.
Yonsei University will assess users’ understanding and whether they complete consultations when voice AI is used in counseling services, among other factors, to verify its potential for practical use in real-world services.
LG Uplus sees voice AI as a core technology for next-generation AI services and is expanding its related business. It announced its U+ Voice AI strategy in a keynote address at MWC 2026 in March and has been jointly developing network-based voice AI solutions with global telecommunications equipment company Ericsson since July.
LG Uplus plans to roll out the technology developed through this industry-academia collaboration in phases across its various voice AI services. The company aims to improve user convenience by advancing technology that understands expressions and conversational styles unique to Korean.
Lee Sang-yeop, chief technology officer (CTO) at LG Uplus, said, “Voice is an important means of enabling anyone to use AI easily and naturally.” He added, “Through this industry-academia collaboration, we will secure K-Voice AI technology tailored to Koreans and the Korean language and strengthen our technological competitiveness so that fewer groups, including older adults, are left behind in the AI era.”
[email protected] Yoon Hong-jip Reporter