LINE, a Tokyo-based company focused on development of mobile applications, is set to restructure its AI-driven organisation. In addition, the company will recruit employees specialised in AI increasing the headcount to 200 by the end of 2021. LINE’s recruitment decision stems from its aim to promote research and development of AI and accelerate the growth of its AI-based businesses.
“The positions are available in Japan and Korea. However, as we already have engineers from 28 countries working at LINE, we look forward to accepting applicants from a diversity of backgrounds,” LINE’s spokesperson told International Finance.
LINE is expected to hire machine learning engineers, data scientists, researchers, data platform engineers and other AI experts to build a sustainable foundation that will support its services in the long run. It also improves service value using big data.
In fact, AI being one of the company’s strategic pillars is indispensable to LINE’s long-term business plan. “We believe that AI technology has the potential to update all of society and industry,” according to the spokesperson.
LINE’s teams in charge of data platform development, data analysis, machine learning, AI technology development, and fundamental research will be consolidated into a single organisation.
Last June, LINE’s proprietary AI technology was offered to external partners through a new business called LINE BRAIN to streamline work and improve user convenience. It is currently under proof of concept with select partners. LINE BRAIN is also set to launch in Taiwan in the second half of 2020.
LINE BRAIN is a B2B AI-driven business offering corporate clients AI technologies developed by the company, such as chatbot, optical character recognition, voice recognition, voice synthesis and image recognition. “It aims to not just help other companies improve the productivity and convenience of their services, but also to make everyday life more convenient for the users of these services,” the spokesperson said.
LINE’s internal restructuring will shorten the time from research and development to production, enabling the company to hasten commercialisation of its AI-based services through LINE BRAIN. In addition, the restructuring will help the company to promote data use across businesses and departments. It can utilise its massive database to its full potential and further improve its existing services.
In 2016, LINE established LINE Data Labs — a dedicated development department that analyzes and researches data for the company and its related services. The LINE Data Labs’ work supports a wide range of products and services including content displayed in Smart Channel.
In the following year, the company launched the Clova AI assistant powering LINE’s AI speakers such as Clova Friends and Clova Desk. The company is working on LINE AiCall, an AI phone call service to be launched this year.