The government's nationwide AI service 'Everyone's AI' faces its first test on Oct. 16.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the industry said on Oct. 14 that three consortia led by SK Telecom, KT and Kakao will run a closed beta for Everyone's AI starting on Oct. 16 for affiliates and officials at public institutions. The ministry plans to check each consortium's service development progress and operating methods.

Everyone's AI is a government project aimed at helping any citizen use services based on domestic AI models. In August, consortia led by SK Telecom, KT and Kakao were selected as operators. A key goal is to build AI agents that perform tasks such as reservations, shopping and applications for public services beyond simple question-and-answer functions.

The project targets an official launch in December. It plans to offer a general-purpose AI chatbot free of charge to all citizens with no usage limits. This closed beta is a step to check service completeness and user experience ahead of the formal launch.

SKT to focus on 'action-based AI' that makes phone calls for users

The Everyone's AI service being built by the SKT consortium aims to be an "action-based AI assistant" that provides daily life and public information in context and links users to follow-up actions they need. SKT formed a consortium spanning eight areas: education and future generations, finance and payments, small business owners, public services and healthcare, care and welfare, investment and venture, AI technology and security, and lifestyle.

A flagship function is a service in which the AI makes phone calls on behalf of users. If a user asks for a restaurant reservation, the AI finds a suitable restaurant and calls from the user's phone number to check availability. It is designed to be usable not only via a smartphone app but also by phone and text messages to improve user convenience.

SKT is also developing a personalised function that analyses a user's resume and job interests to recommend new job postings first. It plans to develop it into a service that lets users assign tasks to AI and check results across multiple touchpoints such as phone, text, web and apps.

An SKT official said the company plans to check key functions and day-to-day use scenarios through the test and prepare for an official service launch in December by reflecting user feedback.

KT to raise AI usage with 'Ieum Inside'

KT is promoting an "Ieum Inside" strategy of applying AI to existing daily life services. It aims to let users get AI assistance in services they normally use, such as shopping and search, without launching a separate AI app.

For example, if users search for home appliances on price comparison platform Danawa, the AI compares prices, power consumption and key features across products. KT is also pushing links with Musinsa, Zigbang and portal Daum. It is also preparing a function that remembers users' conversations and daily habits and provides needed information first. It would notify users of vehicle inspection deadlines and help reserve nearby inspection sites and add schedules.

KT also plans to apply image and three-dimensional (3D) content creation features using NC AI technology to the formal service in December. It also plans to build a "token factory" that efficiently connects multiple domestic AI models to support smooth service delivery.

Kakao to build KakaoTalk-based 'AI agent marketplace'

Kakao is putting weight on building an open AI platform involving outside companies and developers, using KakaoTalk as a touchpoint. Kakao's Everyone's AI is being developed as a service that can be accessed through KakaoTalk or used on a separate web screen.

It uses a way of specifying conditions through conversation even if users do not designate tools to use from the start or organise requests into complete sentences. For example, if a user asks, "Are there any exhibitions I can go to with my child?" the service can narrow down options through additional dialogue on date, travel distance and companion conditions. It also plans to support a flow that then finds nearby restaurants, compares candidates and proceeds to reservations.

In the process, it keeps context such as schedules or headcounts set in earlier conversations to reduce repeated input of the same information. Before moving into actual execution such as reservations, it again confirms conditions and amounts with users. Such execution functions will be provided on a limited basis in the initial beta service and will be advanced gradually afterward.

Kakao is also pitching an "AI agent marketplace". If outside developers and startups register AI agents, users can choose needed functions the way they select apps in an app store. It is also linking "PlayMCP" for outside developers with the marketplace and is setting up personal data access permissions and an agent verification system.