LG Uplus is expanding the application of its AI agent Ixio from calls to daily life more broadly. With 1.5 million monthly users secured, it is adding functions such as search, schedule management and roaming, and exploring the possibility of linking with physical AI.

The telecoms industry said on Tuesday that LG Uplus has recently been advancing Ixio and evolving it into an integrated AI platform that also supports physical AI. Its strategy is to move beyond a service that supports calls on smartphones and develop it into ambient AI centred on voice that connects various devices and spaces.

Ixio continues to evolve... 1.5 million monthly users

Launched in November 2024, Ixio highlighted key functions including a visual call feature that shows call content as text, answering calls in place of the user, call recording and summarisation, and real-time voice phishing detection. In October last year, it unveiled Ixio 2.0 and added features including AI conversation search, AI smart summary and Discover 2.0.

AI conversation search finds and answers relevant calls when users ask about a meeting place, schedule or work details mentioned in past calls. AI smart summary quickly organises the key points in a call. Discover 2.0 is a guidance page that analyses call and text data and recommends AI functions customers need.

Earlier this year, it showcased Ixio Pro at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), further expanding agent functions. The idea is to grow it into an AI agent that proactively suggests necessary actions by recognising situations and context first, without waiting for user commands.

For example, before a call it organises important information from past conversations and texts, and during a call it searches for related information through AI search. After a call, it creates a to-do list and links it to schedules or work. It also recently launched Ixio Roaming Call, a service that lets users call or receive calls to Korea using the same phone number they use at home even while abroad.

LG Uplus plans to expand Ixio from call AI that stays on smartphones into physical AI services linked to physical devices such as smart homes, vehicles and robots. The AI would understand context such as the user’s voice, call content and schedule, and connected devices would carry out actual actions.

A different path from A.dot?... user gap remains

The industry broadly agrees that differentiating from rival services will be Ixio’s survival strategy. SK Telecom’s A.dot aims to be a general-purpose AI agent that links daily life beyond calls, including schedules, content, information search and mobility. In October last year, A.dot’s monthly active users (MAU) exceeded 10 million. A.dot is applied not only to phone services but also to SK Telecom-linked services such as T Map and B tv.

Ixio’s current MAU is about 1.5 million, leaving a gap with A.dot. Unlike A.dot, LG Uplus appears to be seeking differentiation by focusing on call- and voice-based services. It is structured to connect information search, schedule registration, voice phishing detection and roaming that occur before and after calls in a single flow.

It is also seeking to evolve into an AI agent linked to real-world spaces by signalling the addition of physical AI. This is seen as a move to widen subscriber touchpoints and create new service models by linking telecom networks, smart homes, vehicle communications and robot businesses to Ixio.

An industry official said, "It is likely a realistic judgement that improving the user experience based on call data and linking it to existing businesses such as roaming, plans and customer management would be better." The official added, "In the long term, connecting voice AI to physical AI services such as smart homes, mobility and robots could become Ixio’s differentiating factor."

Subscriber growth takes priority over paid services

LG Uplus is cautious about monetisation even as it positions Ixio as its flagship AI solution. It said in last year’s earnings announcement that it would monetise some Ixio functions, but Ixio is still provided for free. An industry official said, "From the company’s standpoint, it seems to be focusing first on expanding the user base and building loyal customers."

Still, with basic smartphone call apps and competing services such as A.dot offering recording and summarisation functions for free, it will not be easy to get users to pay through simple feature monetisation alone. The industry assessment is that Ixio needs search accuracy, work automation or security functions that are available only on Ixio.

The physical AI linkage now being pursued could be an effective monetisation tool. The approach is to connect external devices such as smart homes, vehicles and robots to Ixio and offer advanced automation functions through plans or subscription products. It could also expand into a business-to-business (B2B) model supplying voice agents and device-control technology to corporate customers.

LG Uplus is also using cooperation with overseas telecoms operators as a breakthrough. In May it agreed with Malaysian telecoms operator Maxis to launch Ixio commercially in the local market. The model provides Ixio in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) form and applies it to local telecom environments and languages. Earlier, LG Uplus also signed a business agreement with Zain Group, which operates businesses in the Middle East and Africa, for a global launch of Ixio.

An industry official said, "It appears to be a strategy to recover the cost of providing Ixio to general customers through B2B revenue." The official added, "To grow beyond a subscriber retention tool into an independent AI business, it will need to prove a revenue model within a short period of time."