The South Korean internet giants Naver and Kakao are developing plans to enter the device market. According to reports, both companies will expand from their current online-only statuses, and release hardware before the end of 2017. Naver is expected to release an AI-based speaker called Wave in the summer, which is to be operated by its Clova virtual assistant, which works similarly to Amazon Alexa. It is also thought to be planning to unveil autonomous car technology. Meanwhile, Kakao will be releasing its own AI speaker, set to work in conjunction with its own music, news and voice-search services.
