LG U+ (CEO Hyeon-sik Hwang) announced on the twenty fifth that it’ll enter the worldwide market in earnest with an English version service that applies artificial intelligence (AI) technology to the child-specific metabus ‘Kidstopia’.

Kidstopia, which was first introduced in March this 12 months, is a child-specific metabus service that allows fun learning with AI characters in a 3D virtual experience space, and is a key platform of LGU+ 3.0. LGU+ first entered North America, including the USA and Canada, and Malaysia, followed by Asia (Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, the Philippines), Oceania (Australia, Recent Zealand), South America (Brazil, Argentina), and Europe inside the 12 months. We plan to expand our service area.

Kidstopia, newly reorganized this time, might be utilized in English, from natural conversations between users and AI characters to acquiring encyclopedia-based knowledge and quizzes related to animals and dinosaurs.

It’s explained that non-English-speaking countries, including Korea, can enjoy natural English learning through conversation, and English-speaking countries can enjoy a metaverse that mixes play and learning.

Kim Min-goo, LGU+ Web 3.0/Metabus Service Development Lab Manager, said, “We’ve been verifying the unique user experience within the domestic market, where children experience various experiences within the virtual metaverse space and have a good time learning through conversations with AI characters.” By expanding it to the worldwide market, it’ll turn out to be a platform in a latest category called ‘Kids Metaverse’, innovating the experience of using the Metaverse for kids around the globe.”

■ In-World AI Collaboration… Persona setting through large language model learning, direct response to user behavior

The generative AI installed in Kidstopia is a technology that creates AI NPCs by setting various personas and enables natural continuous conversation.

Previously, LG Technology Ventures, which was jointly established by LG affiliates including LGU+, invested in in-world AI.

In-World AI learns people’s personalities and conversation methods through large language models (LLMs), sets up character personas, and creates persona-specific AI NPCs that directly reply to the user’s character’s actions within the virtual space. Based on OpenAI’s GPT, it’s characterised by not only information search but in addition emotional conversations that fit the persona. In-World AI can also be the primary to use generative AI technology to metaverse services, and plans to confirm the technology with LGU+.

In Kidstopia, you possibly can meet 4 kinds of AI NPCs, including ‘Yuppi’, ‘Pinky’, and ‘Cony’, the representative characters of ‘Kid’s Land’, and ‘Holman’, a preferred LGU+ character. Yupi, who at all times accompanies users, guides and talks about various activities and experience spaces within the principal square, and Pinky provides customized quizzes for every experience space. Connie plays the role of making a fairy tale through dialogue within the English version and ending words within the Korean version. Holman translates words or sentences into English within the Korean version, and plays a game of 20 questions within the English version.

LGU+ set AI characters to not exceed two sentences with words on the elementary school level when talking according to the attention level of kids, the principal user group, while not expressing negative emotions akin to profanity.

■ Expansion of two kinds of experience space… English conversation practice by situation, acquisition of marine life knowledge

Because the launch of the domestic version, LGU+ has been operating a goal group interview (FGI) survey, experience group, and receiving advice from consulting corporations to enhance its service. Based on this, we plan so as to add an ‘English Village’ where you possibly can practice English conversation by situation in July and a ‘Fishing’ space where you possibly can construct up knowledge about marine life.

As well as, the UI and UX of the service are being strengthened. By strengthening the AI ​​response speed, recognition rate, and user experience, the AI ​​conversation usage rate increased by greater than 200%, and the user retention rate increased by 60% by reinforcing the metaverse service guide, a system that gives rewards for completing missions, and a user environment for kids. did.

LGU+ said, “We plan to investigate customers based on data, constantly hearken to Pain Point, improve the usage environment, and expand latest contents to extend the length of stay and retention rate.” We plan to introduce AI technology as well.”

Reporter Juyoung Lee juyoung09@aitimes.com