Naver to roll out AI agents across all services in 2026

Naver, a South Korean internet giant, said it will roll out AI agents across all its services this year as it looks to generate profits from AI-driven services.

CEO Choi Soo-yeon outlined the plan at the company’s shareholder meeting in Seongnam, saying AI is becoming central to competitiveness.

Naver said a shopping AI agent launched in beta on its premium Naver Plus Store service will expand to all shopping categories within the year, and it will enhance domain-specific agents for search, local services, finance, and health.

The company also said it will expand its enterprise AI business under a “sovereign AI” strategy and aims to double productivity across divisions this year, after posting 2025 sales of 12.4 trillion won (US$9.5 billion) and operating profit of 2.2 trillion won (US$1.7 billion), up 12.1% and 11.6% year-on-year.

🔗 Source: Yonhap

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Naver’s AI bet is already paying off

Naver’s AI agent rollout looks ahead, yet the company’s artificial intelligence spending is already producing measurable gains.
AI drove about 55% of Naver’s advertising revenue growth last year, tying the tech to stronger monetization 1.
The e-commerce unit, a main focus for the new AI agents, grew fastest. Annual revenue rose 26.2% and topped 30% of total sales for the first time 2.
Net profit still fell 5.8% year on year, which keeps pressure on margins even as revenue climbs 3.

A model for regional leaders as AI spreads

Naver’s plan offers a way for strong regional platforms to compete with US tech giants as AI becomes more common 4.
It uses a tight local setup that blends search, commerce, and financial services. That mix builds a data edge that overseas rivals struggle to match 5.
The “sovereign AI” strategy, which keeps AI and data infrastructure under local control for governments and businesses, also targets enterprise buyers. Work is underway in Saudi Arabia and Japan 6.
The same strategy helps protect the business, turning local engagement into a B2B (business-to-business) revenue line while also improving consumer services with shared AI systems 3.