Naver is nearing the final stages of a major overhaul that shifts its search service to an artificial intelligence-centered model, a change expected to significantly alter what users see after entering a query. The company is moving from keyword-based search to AI-based search, a transition it likened to the earlier shift from PC to mobile search.
On the 21st, Naver began closed beta testing of an “AI tab” with employees, aiming for a second-quarter launch. Because closed beta tests are typically a final internal check before release, the industry has raised the possibility of a launch as early as late April to early May. Naver may still adjust some features or even the name after feedback.
Internal reactions have been broadly positive, according to the report. Rather than seeking a sweeping advantage over global AI services for general questions, the approach is seen as focusing on areas where Naver already has strengths. For example, for location- and reservation-based queries such as “Find a restaurant in Pangyo that can take a reservation at 6 p.m.,” the AI is said to provide more practical answers by linking to existing data. That is attributed to a structure that can quickly reflect reservation and store information accumulated through services such as Naver Place.
The AI tab is expected to appear alongside existing category tabs such as News, Blogs and Cafes within the search results page. After a user enters a query, the AI would present personalized results reflecting preferences and context, while also enabling follow-up questions through a conversational interface. The goal is to strengthen a “conversational search” experience beyond simple information delivery.
Naver is designing the AI tab not as a single feature but as an umbrella that integrates multiple AI agents. Depending on what is needed during a search, different agents — such as shopping, maps and reservations — would be called. Users could request a task and have the relevant agent run automatically, or select an agent directly and instruct it to perform the work.
The first application will be a shopping AI agent. Naver plans to expand to other areas, including finance and Place, and expects that by next year it will complete a structure in which multiple agents are organically linked across Naver services. Over the longer term, it aims for a system in which a user typing “I’m going on an overseas trip” would trigger agents to divide and carry out tasks such as booking flights, buying needed items and managing an itinerary.
The changes underscore Naver’s shift from a search-centered service to an AI agent-based platform. Naver has also been streamlining existing functions as part of the overhaul. On April 8, it ended its related-search-terms service, and its AI search service Clova X has also been put on a path toward being phased out.
A Naver official said the company is taking a gradual approach, keeping existing usability while expanding AI features. “Because it is a service with a large user base, rather than a full overhaul overnight, we are pursuing a strategy of gradually expanding the AI experience while maintaining existing usability,” the official said. “Just as AI Briefing was expanded only up to 20% over a year, the AI tab will also be rolled out step by step.”
The shift toward AI-driven search is also accelerating globally. Google has introduced “Gemini in Chrome” in South Korea, integrating its Gemini AI model into the Chrome browser and allowing users to call up AI from a side panel. The move of portal competition toward AI is expected to speed up at home and abroad.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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