LG Uplus said on Tuesday it has agreed with Malaysian telecoms operator Maxis to commercially launch its artificial intelligence (AI) call service ixi-O in Malaysia. It said this is the first case in which its strategy to expand AI services globally has led to discussions on an actual business.

Maxis is a comprehensive telecommunications service provider representing Malaysia. Based on 10,000,000 mobile subscribers, it also provides fixed-line and broadband network services and has secured wide telecommunications coverage in Malaysia.

LG Uplus CEO Beom-sik Hong (홍범식) and other executives met Maxis CEO Goh Seow Eng (고 쇼 엥) and others on May 7 local time at Maxis headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to discuss plans to commercialise ixi-O locally.

ixi-O is set to launch this year, tailored to the local user environment in Malaysia. Using the multilingual processing capabilities of its on-device AI engine, it will reflect even English expressions commonly used in Malaysia to provide an AI call experience suited to local conditions.

LG Uplus earlier presented a mid- to long-term vision at MWC 2026 to become a "Global AI Software Company". The company said Hong's direct involvement in local discussions reflects that direction.

Hong said, "We are localising ixi-O to suit Malaysia's telecommunications environment and preparing it as a service that customers can actually use." He added, "Based on the AI experience accumulated in Korea, we will strive to expand the global market centred on AI software as a service."