Kakao partners with Coupang Eats to launch AI-driven ordering in chat

Kakao reported its strongest quarterly performance on a record 2.985 trillion‑won revenue and 277 billion‑won operating profit, a 36 % rise year‑on‑year. To sustain growth, the company announced the first step of its "agentic AI" strategy: integrating an AI assistant into KakaoTalk that can complete food‑ordering and payment without leaving the chat. The initial partner is Coupang Eats, allowing users to select a restaurant, place an order and pay directly within the messaging app. Kakao’s CEO Jung Shin‑a said the service will expand to other verticals such as reservations, travel and broader commerce, turning KakaoTalk into a hub for everyday AI‑enabled transactions. The collaboration involves redesigning service structures so the AI can suggest, authenticate, and finalize transactions in a single user flow, marking a shift from simple API links to a fully integrated conversational experience.