Koreans will be able to experience what IBM’s cognitive computer system Watson can do first through call center service and the arrival of Watson is expected to trigger various applications on talent borrowed from computer deep learning in Korea.

SK Holdings C&C Co., IBM Watson service operator in Korea said that local banks are responding well to the artificial intelligence (AI) -based call center service it plans to launch early next year. IBM Watson will assist call center operators by searching for relevant information automatically after analyzing the customer calls. It will maximize operators’ work efficiency by allowing them to focus on customer service as they don’t have to search through database while talking to customers on the phone.

“Watson will play a role as an assistant at first, but when enough data is collected after a certain time, Watson will be able to replace operators,” said Lee Gi-yeol, head of the digital and finance business division at SK C&C.

Watson, IBM’ technology platform using natural language processing and machine learning technology to come up with optimal solution and insight by digging into colossal hoard of unstructured data, chose call center as its first application in Korea due to the potential growth in the field. Customers call centers are run by all services providers ranging from wireless carriers, credit card companies to hospitals and manufacturers.

The local call center market is estimated at 10 trillion won ($8.9 billion). The bank call center market is big in size and has low entry barrier because it is less risky and requires less expertise than medical or legal call centers.

Home-grown AI-based call center Minds Assistant, developed by Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and an AI platform startup Minds Lab, is also in operation on a trial basis. Minds Assistant can provide tailored services to the customers by analyzing customer call recordings.

Minds Lab has attracted 7 billion won worth investment as its technological prowess is widely recognized. “We are testing AI call center assistant which can answer the customer calls directly,” said Yoo Tae-joon, CEO of Minds Lab. “We are confident that our Minds Assistant would not lose out to IBM Watson as we have acquired a lot of technical know-how,” he added. Minds Lab has also been diversifying its AI-based services including its home assistant robot Chorongi.

IBM Watson will also be applied to various businesses in Korea. SK C&C plans to release a mobile application where Watson recommends customized financial products by analyzing information of all of the local banks. “SK C&C is strong in financial technology, so we are focusing on how to incorporate Watson to our financial services,” said Lee.

By Oh Chan-jong

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