Kakao will end its standalone AI service Kanana about 17 months after its launch. It will wrap up AI experiments conducted through a separate app and use the technology and user feedback gained in the process for other AI services, including KakaoTalk.

According to Kakao on Sept. 15, the Kanana app and PC service will end on Oct. 15. Kakao has operated a conversational AI service centered on the AI mates "Kana" and "Nana" after introducing Kanana in beta form in May last year.

Kanana has served as a standalone app for Kakao to test various AI functions. Added during the service were voice-based conversation, an "AI Studio" that generates images users want, and a "Special Mate" that supports car maintenance reservations.

Kakao plans to end the standalone AI app experiment and instead apply the technical capabilities and user feedback secured during Kanana's operation to other AI services. A Kakao official said, "We will end experiments and challenges through the AI app service 'Kanana,' and we want to transplant the technical capabilities and insights gained through operating the beta service into new services."

Experience accumulated through Kanana is already being applied to Kakao's other AI services. Kakao operates "Kanana in KakaoTalk," which can be used in KakaoTalk without installing a separate app, and is expanding its AI services with "ChatGPT for Kakao" introduced in cooperation with OpenAI and "PlayMCP," which connects AI agents and tools.

The shutdown applies to the Kanana app and PC service. Kakao's other AI services, including "Kanana in KakaoTalk," will remain available. The direction of expanding experiments conducted in the standalone app into existing services such as KakaoTalk has become clearer.

Kakao will also carry out procedures to back up and destroy user data ahead of the shutdown. Users can download existing chat data from the settings menu in PC Kanana until Oct. 14. Images generated in AI Studio must be saved individually from the archive. After that, users will not be able to access chat history and generated images, and user data will be destroyed after the shutdown in accordance with relevant laws and the privacy policy.