KaKao

- Participated in the “Leveraging AI for Human Rights Protection” session at the 2024 UN IGF

- Shared insights on platform roles in enhancing public convenience and advancing digital safety

 

(December 19, 2024) Kakao continues its commitment to ensuring public safety and convenience. 

 

Kakao (CEO Shina Chung) attended the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held from December 15 to 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

 

The IGF is an annual international forum fostering global collaboration among stakeholders to address Internet and digital issues and strengthen policy coordination. This year’s event, themed “Building a Multistakeholder Digital Future,” attracted over 9,000 participants, including Internet and IT experts from 175 countries. 

 

On December 18, Kakao participated in the session “Leveraging AI for the Protection of Human Rights.” The moderator was Yun Hye-seon, a professor at Hanyang University School of Law. Other speakers included Jeong Jae-kwan, Head of Technology Ethics at Kakao; Hwang Yong-seok, Professor of Media and Communication at Konkuk University; Rachel Lee, AWS Singapore’s Head of Economics and AI Policy, and Çağatay Pekyörür, Head of Community Engagement and Outreach for Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey. 

 

Kakao shared its efforts in promoting innovative approaches to improve public services via domestic platforms, implementing technology ethics at a group level, and advancing digital safety initiatives.  

 

As part of its public innovation initiatives, Kakao highlighted its provision of public information through KakaoTalk, showcasing the proactive role of domestic platforms in enhancing public safety and convenience. By developing services like KakaoTalk Alert and e-documents, Kakao has facilitated the digital transformation of traditional administrative methods, such as postal delivery. This has improved accessibility, enabling 24/7 access to information and increasing the efficiency of public services.

 

Kakao also elaborated on its efforts to develop and verify safe and reliable technology. By establishing a group-level Technology Ethics Subcommittee, Kakao has built a systematic approach to integrating and managing technology ethics and related policies.  Ahead of service launches, the company proactively addresses technological risks with a “Core Checklist” designed to enhance safety. 

 

In its efforts to promote digital safety, Kakao has implemented an “AI Ethics Principles” framework, introducing new guidelines to ensure healthy interactions between AI and users. The company operates “Safebot,” an AI-powered tool that automatically filters inappropriate content, such as comments containing profanity or violations of platform policies. Kakao also publishes the “KakaoTalk Safety Report,” detailing its user protection policies and their implementation. 

 

Professor Yun, the session’s moderator, remarked, “Kakao’s innovative self-regulation efforts, led by the private sector ahead of government intervention, provide meaningful direction for global companies and nations in protecting digital human rights.” 

 

Professor Hwang Yong-seok from Konkuk University added, “The self-regulatory practices of Korean companies like Kakao demonstrate highly adaptable and effective methods for establishing responsible norms, resolving issues transparently, and proactively addressing risks in a dynamic technological environment.”

 

After attending the session, Imad Karim, Innovation Leader at the UN Women Asia-Pacific Regional Office, commented, “It was awe-inducing and inspiring to see an Asian private company like Kakao share its expertise with the global community.”

 

Jeong Jae-kwan, Kakao’s Head of Technology Ethics, concluded, “Kakao remains committed to fulfilling its societal responsibilities as a digital platform, including contributing to the protection of user human rights. We will continue collaborating with diverse stakeholders to drive civic innovation and make technology safer for our users.” [End]