Naver and Watpad will join hands with Toronto University in Canada, one of the world’s top AI research institutes, to begin three-way cooperation for research and development of AI-based next-generation content service platforms.
Naver and Toronto University held a “Research Partnership Launch” event at Naver 1784 on the 28th to commemorate the start of research cooperation. The event was attended by CFO Kim Nam-sun of Naver, Clova CIC CEO Jeong Seok-geun, AI Lab director Jungwoo Ha, Alex Mihailidis, deputy director of the University of Toronto’s International Research Cooperation, and Ilan Kramer.
Through this partnership, Naver and Watpad will invest about 5.2 billion won (5 million CAD) over the next five years to conduct joint AI research in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) with the University of Toronto. The technology secured as a result of the study is planned to provide more innovative experiences for global users by applying it to Watpad’s content service platform.
Specifically, in the field of natural language processing (NLP), we collaborate to study measurement models such as content discrimination and content analysis technology for similar content recommendation, natural language recognition technology for long text content understanding and summarization, and customer usage habits. In the field of human-computer interaction, AI-based intuitive creative tools and interactive interfaces will be studied.
Naver plans to further expand its global AI R&D ecosystem through cooperation with the University of Toronto, while contributing to AI technology cooperation between Korea and Canada. Naver has established joint AI labs with Seoul National University and KAIST, Germany’s Tübingen University, Vietnam’s HUST, and PTIT, and has been actively cooperating with leading universities at home and abroad to secure AI competitiveness.
“This partnership with Naver and Watpad is a very groundbreaking example of industry-academic cooperation in that it combines Watpad’s Toronto-based business, Naver’s global challenge, and Toronto University’s AI and HCI expertise,” said Alex Mikhailidis, vice president of the University of Toronto.
