LG Uplus launches AI assistant agent ixi-O

LG Uplus CEO Hwang Hyeon-sik unveils the AI call agent ‘ixi-O’ at a press conference held at the Yongsan headquarters on the 7th. (LG Uplus)

South Korean mobile carrier LG Uplus Corp. launched a new service called ixi-O that offers call recording, text conversion, and real-time voice phishing detection, thus signaling the company’s entry into the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant market.

“LG Uplus’s approach to AI is to create services that provide direct value to customers,” LG Uplus Chief Executive Officer Hwang Hyeon-sik said during a press conference held at the company’s office in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Thursday.

Hwang noted that the company will invest between 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) to 3 trillion won in AI by 2028.

“What consumers want is an AI service that they need,” he said, noting that ixi-O will provide unique value in the core communication area for telecom companies.

Ixi-O is an AI-powered call service developed by LG Uplus that offers call handling, visual call assistance, real-time voice phishing detection, and call recording and summarization in an on-device environment without the need for a server.

LG Uplus achieved this thanks to an optimized lightweight AI model that can be installed on mobile devices and advanced data learning technology. As it operates on-device, it can be used in no-date environments.

One of the key features of ixi-O is the call-handling assistant. If an important call comes in during another ongoing call, the AI will answer it and leave a note. A second feature, visual call, displays text summaries of calls in poor reception areas, like subways, enhancing readability and convenience.

The real-time voice phishing detection feature could be particularly useful for elderly users, as it assesses whether a call may be fraudulent based on call content alone, rather than the caller’s number.

The call recording and summarization feature is tailored for iPhone users, allowing easy voice storage during calls without notifying the other party. Recordings are stored on the device, ensuring security without service transmission.

LG Uplus’s launch of ixi-O is expected to intensify competition with SK telecom’s A Dot, with the latter topping 5.5 million subscribers as of late September 2024. SK telecom also added AI features to its T Phone service called the A Call a month later, expanding AI applications across various domains from large language model search to AI agent services.

LG Uplus aims to secure 1 million ixi-O users within a year. The service is currently only available on iPhone 14 and newer models, but an Android version is planned to launch alongside Samsung Electronics Co.’s new Galaxy devices in 2025, with plans to support more devices moving forward.

LG Uplus plans to expand ixi-O as a home agent in collaboration with LG Electronics Inc. to build an AI agent ecosystem, with early-stage cooperation with Google for this development. In the B2B sector, the company intends to leverage its AI data centers and its enterprise AI solution, ixi Enterprise, to strengthen its market presence.

“It is important to enhance internal capabilities to meet our consumers’ specific needs,” Hwang said. “We will invest 400 to 500 billion won annually, which will total 2 to 3 trillion won by 2028.”