DAN24: NAVER’s On-Service AI Strategy — CEO Choi Soo-yeon’s Keynote

NAVER CEO Choi Soo-yeon’s DAN24 opening keynote offered a view of the company’s growth and On-Service AI strategy. This review considers the direction presented for its services and ecosystem.

NAVER DAN 24 opening keynote: a new leap, a changing NAVER

AI-Led Ecosystem Expansion and NAVER’s Growth#

NAVER described gains in user activity, the creator ecosystem, shopping and payments as AI strengthened platform competitiveness.

• User activity: Time spent on the main page increased at a double-digit rate, interpreted as a result of personalised recommendations and new services.
• Creator ecosystem: The number of active creators more than doubled, supported by AI production tools and expanded earning opportunities.
• Shopping: The number of sellers using AI solutions rose by more than 47%.
• Payments: External NAVER Pay payment volume grew by more than 38%, associated with convenient integration and benefits.
• Younger audiences: Activity among users in their teens through thirties increased across blogs, Open Talk, maps and Junior NAVER, suggesting positive effects from relevant services and personalised experiences.

The article anticipates continued improvements through AI and new services. Growth in Open Talk, maps and Junior NAVER indicates younger users are participating in content consumption, creation and communication.

The increase in time spent and younger-user acquisition likely supported the confidence behind the conference. The article cites a projected fourth-quarter 2024 figure of KRW 10.6 trillion , anticipating a record result.

NAVER’s On-Service AI Strategy#

On-Service AI aims to embed AI across services so users experience useful innovation in everyday life.

• Search: Personalised feeds and recommendations provide faster, more intuitive discovery, combining NAVER’s content assets with AI.
• Advertising: An integrated AI platform connects advertiser goals with user needs through data and personalisation.
• NAVER Place: Spatial intelligence connects online and offline experiences and improves interaction.
• Shopping: Personalised recommendations reflect preferences and purchase history to make shopping more relevant and enjoyable.

NAVER’s strengths include core technologies across search, advertising, Place, shopping and cloud, applied at the scale of tens of millions of users. Its aim is an interconnected AI ecosystem that improves daily life, business performance and highly personalised experiences.

FAQ#

1. What Is On-Service AI and How Is It Applied?#

It combines search, recommendation and LLM technologies. Users encounter it naturally: AI Briefing summarises results and recommends relevant content. Shopping, Place, travel, blogs and communities receive personalised experiences, including translation and answers to foreign-language questions.

2. How Does AI Briefing Differ from Other Generative Search Services?#

Beyond generating an answer, it uses NAVER’s extensive content assets to provide richer information. LLMs enhance the search results themselves, supporting reliability and access to current information.

3. How Does It Expand Discovery?#

Home, topic, blog and community feeds recommend content based on search history, shopping and interests. For example, someone who recently bought a smartwatch and searches for CrossFit may receive both general CrossFit content and guidance on using a smartwatch during training.

4. What Is Search Feed?#

Search Feed extends results with more content:

• Related material enables ongoing discovery.
• Shopping information and purchase reviews accompany product searches.
• Restaurant and destination recommendations support place discovery.
• AI-generated short summaries help users discover topics and keywords when they have not yet formed a precise query.

5. How Does Spatial Intelligence Connect Online and Offline Experiences?#

Digital twins represent physical spaces online:

• 3D Street View: combines spatial data with other information.
• VR indoor tours: provide an experience of being on site.
• AR navigation: guides people through complex indoor spaces.
• Pop-up store archives: preserve information online for later access.
• Nearby recommendations: use real-time popularity, enduring interest and personalisation.

6. How Does AI Create Value for Advertisers and Users?#

It connects information needs with marketing objectives:

• AdVoost: automates bidding, audiences, creative, keywords and campaigns.
• AdVoost Keyword: matches relevant ads to queries, reducing keyword-management work.
• AdVoost Audience: identifies and targets suitable audience groups.
• AdVoost Creative: produces and adapts assets based on user response.

7. What Makes NAVER Plus Store Different?#

This shopping app brings together Smart Store and Brand Store products:

• Personalised shopping experiences for fifty million users.
• Content and community connections through blogs, cafés and Knowledge iN.
• Customer relationship tools and targeted connections between sellers and regular customers.
• Membership benefits including delivery, returns, special prices and everyday-product rewards, extending to partners such as Yogiyo, Shilla Duty Free and Netflix.
• NAVER Delivery options including immediate, dawn, same-day, next-day, holiday and selected-date delivery.
• Map-based quick commerce for locally available products.

The proposition combines technology, content, community, membership and delivery across NAVER’s ecosystem.