“Polaris Office can be a synthetic intelligence productivity tool that may be used anywhere, no matter document format and device.”
Polaris Office is Korea's representative global application with 128 million users worldwide. For that reason, partnerships regarding artificial intelligence (AI) have been on the rise recently.
Amongst them, Lee Hae-seok, COO and Vice President of Polaris Office, said, “This 12 months, it can be crucial that Polaris Office, which introduced the generative AI function, is recognized by consumers as a productivity tool. We’re enthusiastic about its rapid spread to public institutions and the on-device AI market.” “I’m concentrating,” he said on the thirty first.
Vice President Lee emphasized his recent participation within the ‘Korea Artificial Intelligence Computer Alliance (K-APA)’ with Intel, Eastsoft, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
He said, “We plan to cooperate in order that Polaris Office may be used as on-device AI on Intel AI PCs,” and added, “We’ll develop software using Intel chips and install it as a basic app on Intel PCs.” He also added, “We now have even accomplished the event of on-device AI for Mac.”
He continued, “In the longer term, we’ll supply PCs equipped with Polaris Office with on-device AI to public institutions or advance into overseas markets through export.” The strategy is to leverage the know-how of Polaris Office, which has been handling document data for a very long time, to expand services and to advance AI functions.
Along with cooperation with Intel, a contract was signed with Japan's SourceNext to provide 'Office AI Services' to the Japanese market.
Regarding the concentrate on expanding services, he explained, “The priority is to introduce AI into tools which can be easy for consumers to make use of.” In other words, he identified that usability is more necessary than functionality.
Polaris Office also grew in the identical way. The rationale it has secured over 100 million global users is because anyone can easily access it. It was also introduced that 20% of latest paid subscribers were secured after introducing the AI function.
Vice President Lee said, “Office AI is sort of a bowl,” and added, “Just by subscribing to Office AI, you should use large language models (LLM) akin to ‘HyperclovaX’ and ‘ChatGPT’, and various AI apps depending on the user. “You may add,” he explained.
Actually, the 'AI Apps' function linked to Allganize's 'Ali LLM App Market' allows financial plan evaluation and even review of legal terms. Just as Open AI made various chatbots available through the 'GPT Store', various apps were also added to Office AI.
“In the long run, you may easily access various AI tools by subscribing to Office AI alone,” he said, adding, “The worth is competitive and the usability is great.”
Within the domestic market, we’re specializing in providing on-premise office AI for collaboration between public institutions and firms.
“The Hangul document (hwp) format continues to be common in public institutions,” he said. “It’s more efficient to make use of existing documents to create a collaboration tool with AI functions.” We also plan to offer productivity tools equipped with real-time co-editing and creation AI functions for firms that use closed networks.
In the longer term, we plan to introduce vision API to support evaluation and creation of images, charts, and videos inside office AI.
As well as, the importance of securing data by industry domain was also emphasized. The aim is to make use of Office AI like a portal and expand its functions with various APIs.
Polaris Office Group explained that the explanation it recently acquired Estec Pharma, an organization specializing in manufacturing pharmaceutical raw materials, and added AI solution research and development to its business purpose was to secure data.
“In industries with more regulations, akin to pharmaceuticals, the proportion of documents is higher,” he said. “We may also have the option to extend productivity with office AI by managing skilled documents needed for various industries.”
He continued, “The AI apps we’re working on with Allganize can be in the shape of a market, allowing anyone to create the crucial AI apps using no-code tools and link them to Polaris Office.” Currently, there are only 15 forms of apps, however the plan is to steadily increase the variety of apps and develop into an AI app market just like the App Store in the longer term.
Vice President Lee Hae-seok summarized Polaris Office’s vision as “an AI agent that knows me well.” He said, “Whether it’s insurance or finance, it should develop into an irreplaceable service like an AI assistant that organizes all documents and provides answers every time crucial.”
As well as, regarding competition with Microsoft (MS), a robust rival in productivity AI apps, he diagnosed, “We’re currently within the stage of growing the AI agent market with MS 'Co-Pilot'.”
“But in the long run, improving consumer usability can be the deciding factor,” he continued, adding, “Polaris Office AI will penetrate the market with convenience and flexibility.”
Reporter Park Soo-bin sbin08@aitimes.com