“As Chinese AI startup DeepSec emerges with fast and cheap services, existing ‘generative AI’ is quickly transitioning to ‘edge-generative AI (data processing on a device level without network connection)’.”

At an AI seminar hosted by the AX Bridge Committee under the Korea Venture Business Association in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 11th, Persona AI CEO Seungjae Yoo explained, “Graphic chips (GPUs) cannot be installed in so many devices. If your car is hacked while you are driving, you could die, and if your house is hacked, it could start a fire or your personal information could be leaked. AI engines (that enable edge-generative AI) will be installed in all engines, including robots and drones.”

This is the so-called ‘on-device AI.’ According to global market research firm Market and Market, this market is expected to grow by an average of 37.7% per year and reach approximately 240 trillion won in 2030.

CEO Yoo said, “With an AI engine, you can work while carrying a laptop without a GPU, such as finding what you want on an airplane,” and “You can work with both hands free, wearing Glass, even in a factory without internet access.”

Persona AI, founded in 2017, sells AI-based customer center solutions (AICC) based on its own lightweight AI engine, and is expanding its business area by successively releasing AI servers and AI laptops.

With the introduction of an AI server, you can improve work efficiency without restrictions on any device or system. It can help you write drafts of various documents, summarize important content in long documents such as papers and reports, research overseas cases, and explore ideas for writing planning reports.

With this technology, the company won an Innovation Award at CES this year, and was also selected as one of the startups to watch by Gary Shapiro, chairman of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organizer of CES (the world’s largest IT and home appliance show). The company is aiming to go public next year.

He predicted that the device that will create the next innovative company will be ‘augmented reality (AR) glasses’, just as Naver grew into a huge company through search in the past Internet era and Kakao grew into a huge company through messenger in the mobile era.

CEO Yoo said, “AR glasses equipped with AI engines can solve language problems by not only understanding information but also real-time translation,” and “If you wear AR glasses and go, KFC grandfather can wave his hand telling you to eat a hamburger (advertisement). You can even order in one go.”

He continued, “You can search and select interbank loan products while lying down at home with glasses,” and emphasized, “There is confirmed demand in various industries such as finance and the military where there are security concerns. We need to be able to plan services that fit into this.”

He cited China’s Xreal setting up an AR glass experience zone at CES 2025 in January as a representative example. “Xreal brought us a car, and we could drive freely without navigation by just wearing glasses and finding our way on a large screen and asking for what we wanted,” explained CEO Yoo.

“Even small AI companies in our country can do a lot in the global market,” said CEO Yoo, adding, “I hope they don’t take AI too seriously and difficultly, but approach it in a fun way.”

- Original article: https://biz.chosun.com/industry/business-venture/2025/03/12/45S4GCZDENDERAYORD2FCYK3PA/?utm_source=naver&utm_medium=original&utm_campaign=biz