| Voice recognition assistant service utilizing 'Kakao i'
| Safe—no need to divert attention to center fascia
| Provided free of charge as standard for BlueLink users

An era of conversing with Ryan inside the car is opening.

Hyundai Motor Company announced on the 18th that it will apply voice recognition conversational assistant service developed in cooperation with Kakao to the new Sonata launching on the 21st for the first time.
Voice recognition assistant service is a service utilizing Kakao's AI platform 'Kakao i'. Since early 2017, Hyundai Motor and Kakao have been conducting a joint project to sequentially enable various functions of 'Kakao mini', a smart speaker, to be used within vehicles.

Introducing voice recognition assistant service utilizing an in-vehicle connectivity system marks the first time for the new Sonata in Korea.

Vehicle voice recognition assistant service is a technology that optimizes smart speakers for vehicle application.

The voice recognition assistant service categories applied to the new Sonata are diverse, including ▲news briefing ▲weather ▲movie and TV information ▲stock information ▲general knowledge ▲sports games ▲real-time search rankings ▲foreign language translation ▲exchange rates ▲today's fortune ▲natural language navigation and more.

Usage is simple. Press the voice recognition button located on the steering wheel and ask for required information in the language used in everyday life, and the AI platform of 'Kakao i' will find and provide the optimal answer.

Existing voice recognition navigation service has also been upgraded to be more natural based on natural language.

Previously, commands like "navigation to Hyundai headquarters" or "nearby restaurants" were required for recognition, but in the new Sonata, even if you say "guide me to Hyundai headquarters" or "let's go to Seoul Station," the system understands the command and begins providing navigation for the optimal route.

Another feature of this voice recognition assistant service is that in addition to these various contents, climate control system operation through voice commands is also possible.

Not only are simple commands like "turn on the heater" and "turn on the air conditioner" possible, but also when you speak conversationally like "turn up the air," "remove the frost," or "direct the air downward," the system precisely understands the driver's requests and operates the climate control system accordingly.

Since the driver's gaze does not need to be directed to the center fascia for climate control during driving, it is expected to provide a safer and more convenient driving environment.

Hyundai Motor and Kakao have initially established service categories centering on content that does not interfere with safe vehicle operation, and plan to expand available in-vehicle services through continuous verification processes going forward.

Hyundai Motor and Kakao plan to further strengthen cooperation for advancing voice recognition technology, safely controlling all vehicle systems through language, and ultimately establishing the foundation for the vehicle to transform into a personal office and rest space.

Since all information in the vehicle voice recognition assistant service is processed through wireless networks between the vehicle and 'Kakao i' servers, BlueLink service application is essential.

Hyundai Motor plans to provide the service free of charge as a standard feature to its BlueLink users without additional fees.

After first installing the vehicle assistant service in the new Sonata, Hyundai Motor plans to provide the service to existing BlueLink users through navigation software updates.

Chu Gyo-woong, executive managing director of Hyundai Motor Company's Infotainment Development Center, said, "With the new Sonata equipped with 'Kakao i'-based AI assistant service, we can now provide customers with emotional satisfaction beyond special experiences of communication with their vehicle, and through active cooperation with ICT companies possessing world-class technological capabilities, we will further strengthen our position as a leading company in future connected car technology."

Kim Byeong-hak, vice president and head of Kakao's AI Lab, said, "The automobile is a space where Kakao is focused on creating convenience through AI technology. We are pleased that the first fruit of close cooperation between both companies has been well implemented in the new Sonata, and we plan to continue joining forces to provide increasingly diverse and convenient services and features in the future."