Kakao Corp. is aiming to release a next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) agent by November in collaboration with OpenAI, according to its Chief Executive Officer Chung Shin-a on Wednesday.

In a recent interview with Forbes Asia, Chung, one of South Korea’s most prominent female tech leaders, said the new AI agent is being designed not only to respond to basic queries, but also to make decisions and take action on behalf of users.

“The agent will handle tasks automatically, making life more convenient even for users who do not fully understand what AI is,” she said.

According to Forbes Asia, the launch could happen as early as November.

The project follows a strategic partnership between Kakao and OpenAI announced in February.

The AI agent is expected to perform tasks across Kakao’s digital ecosystem, including making restaurant and taxi reservations, sending reminders, and even handling payments—all via the KakaoTalk platform.

Chung emphasized the alignment of visions between the two companies, noting, “We needed a partner that leads in performance and innovation, and OpenAI shares our philosophy.”

Kakao also plans to conclude closed beta testing for its conversational AI assistant app Kanana by November, with a public release scheduled around the same time.

As part of its “model orchestration” strategy, Kakao aims to flexibly deploy various AI models depending on task complexity.

Chung said that large language models (LLMs) are not necessary for everyday services, explaining that Kakao will rely on small language models (SLMs) for simpler tasks and use OpenAI’s advanced LLMs for more complex applications.

Regarding anticipated AI investments under the Lee Jae-myung administration, Chung commented, “Imagination will be highly relevant—especially in times of change.”

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