Chairman Lee Hae-jin: "Using Only One or Two AIs Is Sad, Naver Contributes to Diversity"

Lee Hae-jin: "It is sad that the world uses only one or two search engines and AIs"
Determined to contribute to internet diversity and respond to the AI era

Lee Hae-jin, the founder of Naver, who has returned to the forefront of management, said, "It is very sad that the world uses only one or two search engines and only one or two AIs," adding, "Naver's mission is to be a company that contributes to the diversity of the internet." Naver plans to launch 'On-Service AI' to counter the wave of giant portals like Google and artificial intelligence (AI).

On the 26th, after concluding the shareholders' meeting at Naver Green Factory in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Lee met with reporters and stated, "Just as we expanded overseas in the mobile era, we must make efforts to turn the current crisis into an opportunity," expressing his determination to respond to the AI era.

He is expected to step down from his position as Global Investment Officer (GIO) and take on the role of chairman of the board. He said, "I will trust the young management and engineers and focus on supporting them so they can be more active."

He continued, "Naver has endured and survived for 25 years against big tech companies like Google," adding, "We have several ideas and strategies. New movements will become more active."

When asked about the possibility of collaboration with big tech, he replied, "I think we should collaborate if there is something to collaborate on," and added, "We are currently working on various cooperation models with companies like NVIDIA."

He said, "It is very sad that the world uses only one or two search engines and only one or two AIs," emphasizing, "The diversity of the internet must be preserved, and I believe that our own search engines are necessary in this world."

Regarding predictions that the era of search portals will fade due to generative AI services, he rebutted, saying, "It is expanding and growing." He added, "We will secure the necessary position," and reiterated, "Naver's mission is to be a company that contributes to the diversity of the internet."

Meanwhile, CEO Choi Soo-yeon, who succeeded in her reappointment, expressed her intention to focus on enhancing user satisfaction through On-Service AI, which applies AI technology to all of Naver's services.

She explained, "On-Service AI will continue to be announced throughout the year," adding, "Recently, an AI recommendation service was introduced in the Naver Plus Store application, and tomorrow, 'AI Briefing' will be applied to the search service."

She also said, "My mission is to create another success story following global expansion and investment, as well as the cases of LINE and Webtoon Entertainment."

She continued, "The responsibility for leading global investment and business has been fully entrusted to the management," and said, "Together with strategic business and strategic investment divisions, we will diligently fulfill our responsibilities for global challenges."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.