Clova (by Naver) - Short Review

Clova is a comprehensive AI platform developed by Naver Corporation, in collaboration with Line Corporation, a subsidiary of Naver. Here’s a detailed overview of what Clova does and its key features:

What is Clova?

Clova, an acronym for “CLOud-based Virtual Assistant,” is an intelligent personal assistant designed to integrate various AI technologies into everyday life. It was officially introduced in March 2017 and is available on Android and iOS operating systems.

Key Features and Functionality

Speech Recognition and Synthesis

Clova boasts advanced speech recognition capabilities, particularly in Korean, but also supports English and Japanese. The platform includes a speech-to-text (STT) service known as CLOVA Speech, which is renowned for its high accuracy and swift processing speed. This feature is especially useful for real-time streaming, enabling the instantaneous generation of subtitles from spoken content during live broadcasts and phone conversations.

Real-Time Streaming

A recent addition to the CLOVA Speech feature set is the real-time streaming capability. This allows businesses to extract spoken content from live broadcasts and generate subtitles in real-time, eliminating the need for manual transcription. This technology is beneficial for sectors such as broadcasting, live commerce, and customer service centers.

Smart Speakers and Devices

Clova powers a range of smart speakers, including the Naver Wave (in Korea) and Line Wave (in Japan), as well as the Friends speaker (or Clova Wave in Japan). These devices can perform various tasks such as playing music, making reservations, setting alarms, and providing weather updates.

AI-Enabled Services

Clova is integrated into several services and devices, including:

• CLOVA Lamp: A lighting device that can read books aloud using optical character recognition (OCR), speech synthesis, and image analysis.
• Smart Home Appliances: Clova is embedded in various home appliances, enhancing their functionality with AI-driven features.
• Mobile Apps: Clova provides essential functions such as making reservations, studying aids, and scheduling through mobile apps.

Natural Language Processing and Recommendation Technologies

Clova leverages natural language processing (NLP) to offer services like person search, dictionary, translation, and news updates. It also includes recommendation technologies, such as the Ai Review Summary feature on Naver’s e-commerce platform, which summarizes product reviews into a single sentence to aid in purchase decisions.

HyperCLOVA

HyperCLOVA is a hyperscale language model optimized for the Korean language, trained on massive amounts of data. It is used in various applications, including revising complex product names and curating items in AI-driven collections like AiMD.

User Interaction

Users can interact with Clova through voice commands, text input, or touchscreen interactions. For example, pressing the CLOVA key on the keyboard or using voice commands can initiate various tasks such as searching for content, checking the weather, or accessing news.

Pricing and Accessibility

Naver Cloud has recently revamped the pricing structure for CLOVA Speech, offering more flexibility and reduced costs. The new pricing model allows users to select and pay only for the required features, such as voice recognition, speaker recognition, and event detection, making the service more accessible to a broader range of users. In summary, Clova is a versatile AI platform that integrates advanced speech recognition, real-time streaming, and various AI-driven services into a wide range of applications, from smart speakers and home appliances to mobile apps and e-commerce platforms. Its goal is to make AI technology a daily tool for humanity, enhancing efficiency and convenience in multiple aspects of life.