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Korean internet giant Naver soft-launches AI chatbot for searches

Published: 28 Apr. 2026, 17:03

A screen capture of Naver's new AI chat bot, AI Tab [JOONGANG ILBO]

Korean internet conglomerate Naver on Tuesday soft-launched an AI chatbot specialized for searches.

Called AI Tab, the system is designed to interpret the intent and context behind a user's search query and retrieve information accordingly. Users can converse with the AI in natural language to broaden their search.

It also brings together information from Naver's various services, including its online community platform, blogs, location searches, review and reservation platform, and shopping.

Typing "find me a restaurant near Gangnam Station that's good for a family outing," for instance, will prompt the AI to check availability and look for private dining areas before summarizing the results, according to the company.

It is comparable to Google's "AI Mode" search service launched in September.

AI Tab is currently only available to Naver's paid subscribers. It plans to expand its service to the general public in the first half of this year.

The AI Tab will be featured in several parts of its search service, including the main search bar on the desktop website and mobile, the bottom section of its AI Briefing summaries, and its shopping and local search results pages.

Naver also plans to connect AI Tab with its Smart Lens tool, which currently allows users to search using images and videos.

Experts say this move is part of Naver’s broader plan to develop a full-scale AI agent.

“For an AI agent to function properly, it needs access to multiple databases — and in that sense, Naver is in a strong position in Korea,” said Park Chan-jun, a software professor at Soongsil University.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY OH HYEON-WOO [[email protected]]