[MWC] LG Uplus bets on voice AI for global expansion

LG Uplus CEO Hong Bum-shik pledged to move the company beyond its traditional telecom business and reposition it as a global software player centered on voice artificial intelligence solutions.

Speaking Wednesday at a press conference on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Hong said the company aims to transform itself into “an AI-driven software company” that leads the solutionization of telecom and AI technologies.

“We will pursue overseas expansion by building on capabilities developed in telecom-adjacent areas and through partnerships with global operators,” he said.

The strategy reflects LG Uplus’ effort to convert its capital-intensive telecom operations into scalable software assets powered by AI and data, allowing the company to compete in global markets.

A key pillar of the plan is the global rollout of its AI agent service ixi O. The company plans to launch an upgraded version, ixi O Pro, designed to function as an AI agent rather than a single-purpose tool.

The new service will be able to identify speakers and analyze conversational tone, dialogue flow and emotional state, enabling it to give suggestions tailored to the customer’s needs.

Hong said telecom operators hold a key advantage in developing voice AI: access to large-scale call data.

“With roughly 50 million calls a day, we can further advance our voice analysis and generation technologies,” he said.

LG Uplus aims to develop ixi O into a context-aware AI agent capable of understanding voice tone, dialogue patterns and emotional cues, while providing responses suited to individual users.

In the longer term, the company envisions the platform serving as a bridge linking physical AI, connected devices and smart appliances through voice interfaces, creating what Hong described as a “people-centered” service ecosystem.

LG Uplus is currently in discussions with telecom operators in 13 countries about supplying the ixi O solution.

On monetization, Hong struck a cautious tone, saying overseas expansion will likely pick up pace over the next few years.

“After discussions with one or two operators this year, from 2027 we should be able to export more fully and at a faster pace,” he said.

Southeast Asia is emerging as the most likely initial market.

“From a regulatory standpoint, we’re keeping Europe in mind, but from a technology perspective, it’s Southeast Asia,” Hong said, adding the region could provide the company with its first meaningful reference market.

“It’s a market where the difficulty level is high,” he added.

yeeun@heraldcorp.com