Naver Pushes Face Recognion Payments for AI Data Acquision
A notable interaction involving Lee Hae-jin, founder of Naver and Chairman of the Board, and Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, has highlighted Naver’s strategic push into offline data collection through s N-Pay facial recognion payment system. During a dinner meeting, Lee Hae-jin utilized N-Pay Connect’s ‘Face-Sign’ service to cover the meal expenses for not only his party but also for other patrons at the restaurant. This move is being interpreted as a deliberate demonstration of Naver’s capabilies in a high-profile setting, wh global tech leaders present.
N-Pay Connect: A Key to Offline Data
N-Pay Connect is a payment terminal integrated wh various Naver services, including reviews and coupons. The service officially launched in November of last year after a beta test in September. While Naver entered the offline payment terminal market as a later entrant, the company is now accelerating s efforts to expand the adoption of N-Pay Connect. This expansion is crical for Naver’s broader artificial intelligence strategy.
Industry observers suggest that Lee Hae-jin’s act of paying wh Face-Sign during the dinner, attended by prominent figures such as SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, was intended to draw attention to N-Pay Connect. The presence of Jensen Huang, a globally recognized tech executive, amplified the visibily of this demonstration.
AI Ambions Drive Offline Data Strategy
Naver’s focus on expanding N-Pay Connect is directly linked to s AI strategy, as articulated by Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon during a first-quarter earnings call. Choi outlined plans to connect search and purchasing through an executable AI agent. Achieving this vision requires the acquision of robust offline data, a domain where Naver has historically been less strong compared to s extensive online data reserves from search, shopping, and reservations.
“Naver holds a unique posion wh a unified flow of search, commerce, and payment infrastructure,” Choi stated. “We will integrate online and offline data through N-Pay Connect terminals and their connection wh Naver Place.”
Bridging the Online-Offline Data Gap
While Naver possesses significant online data, understanding user behavior in physical locations – such as which stores they vis and what they purchase – necessates dedicated data collection channels. N-Pay Connect serves as a crucial touchpoint for gathering this val offline data. The company’s inial pre-registration for N-Pay Connect saw approximately 2,200 locations, a figure that needs significant growth compared to the over 3.22 million total cred card merchant locations in South Korea. For comparison, Toss Play’s terminal installations surpassed 200,000 locations by October of last year.
During a live broadcast from Naver’s 1784 building on May 8th, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang acknowledged Lee Hae-jin’s gesture, remarking, “Chairman Lee Hae-jin paid for the entire table’s dinner, so Koreans should know where Chairman Lee eats dinner.” Lee Hae-jin responded playfully, “If you can pay wh Naver Pay, I’ll treat you to a meal anytime.””
