Image provided by Kakao
Kakao (CEO Shina Chung) announced it will hold the ‘if(kakaoAI)2024’ developer conference at the ‘Kakao AI Campus’ in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, from October 22 to 24.
Having started in 2018, this marks the 6th year of if(kakao), an event where the Kakao Group shares its technological vision and achievements with the developer community. This year’s core theme is AI, with the slogan ‘Reconnecting Everything,’ as Kakao plans to share and communicate its technology and related knowledge with participants.
In the opening session on the first day, CEO Shina Chung will present Kakao’s future vision for AI, and Lee Sang-ho, leader of KakaoX, will introduce the new AI service ‘Kanana.’ On the second day, CTO Jeong Kyu-don will discuss Kakao’s transformation into an AI-native company. Kim Byung-hak, leader of Kanana Alpha, will deliver a keynote introducing Kakao’s generative AI model.
For the first time in the history of the if(kakao) conference, a visiting speaker will lead a keynote session. On the second day, Ty McKercher, NVIDIA’s Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations, will join the conference as a special guest to discuss the partnership with Kakao centered around Kanana and joint efforts to develop the AI ecosystem.
On the final day, CTOs from Kakao and its affiliates will gather to introduce each company’s AI technology and share insights in a panel discussion. About half of the technical sessions will focus on AI, with 94 sessions covering diverse topics such as data, cloud, backend, and mobile.
This year’s event will also feature an exhibition space where attendees can directly experience the AI technologies and services of Kakao and its affiliates. Exhibits will showcase Kakao’s AI services and models, self-driving cars, the robot delivery service ‘Bring,’ and cloud and AI-based productivity tools from Kakao’s affiliates.
Conference registration will be open from September 30 to October 9 through the official if(kakao) website and KakaoTalk channel. Final participants will be selected by lottery, with results announced on the 16th via the if(kakao) KakaoTalk channel.
Keynotes and major sessions will be live-streamed on the official website, allowing those unable to attend in person to watch. The full session content will be uploaded after the event.
A Kakao representative stated, “This year’s if(kakao) will be an opportunity to glimpse the future of AI technology Kakao is aiming for. We will continue to secure AI technology leadership through sustained investment,” adding, “We will actively share and promote the technology and expertise of our developers to contribute to the advancement of the IT industry.”
Pangyo Techno Valley is a global integrated R&D hub focused on IT, BT, CT, and NT, integrating Research (R), People (P), Information (I), and Trade (T). As Gyeonggi-do’s representative innovation cluster, Pangyo Techno Valley was established to secure national new growth drivers such as technological innovation, human resource development, job creation, and enhancing international business competitiveness. As of 2023, 1,666 companies employ 78,751 people, and it has positioned itself as the most innovative hub in South Korea, with sales amounting to 167.7 trillion KRW (125.5 billion USD).
Furthermore, the Techno Valley Innovation Division of the Gyeonggi-do Business & Science Accelerator (GBSA) holds monthly events such as the Pangyo Evening Meet-Up, Pan-Pan Day, and the Pangyo Startup Investment Exchange “In-Best Pangyo” to maximize the value of Pangyo Techno Valley. They also support the Pangyo Overseas Promotion Program to publicize information about Pangyo’s companies, products, and services to domestic and foreign investors and the media, thereby facilitating foreign investment.
