LG Uplus exports AI Assistant ixi-O to Malaysia

(LG Uplus)

South Korean mobile carrier LG Uplus Corp. is making a full-scale entry into the global artificial intelligence (AI) software market with its proprietary AI call assistant, ixi-O.

LG Uplus announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with Maxis, one of Malaysia’s leading telecom operators, to commercially launch ixi-O in the local market.

The deal marks the first overseas business expansion stemming from the vision announced by LG Uplus Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hong Bum-shik at MWC 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, in March, where he pledged to transform LG Uplus into a “global AI software company.”

The export version of ixi-O will be officially launched later this year as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform optimized for Malaysia’s local user environment.

Customers in Malaysia will be able to access the same key functions currently available in Korea, including call recording and summarization, AI assistant services, real-time voice phishing detection, and AI-powered spam call answering.

In particular, the service will leverage its on-device AI engine’s multilingual processing capabilities to support standard English and Malay, as well as “Manglish,” the localized form of English commonly spoken in Malaysia.

Maxis, the partner company, which serves around 10 million mobile subscribers, has recently been actively investing in advanced technologies such as AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity, in addition to its fixed-line and broadband network businesses.

“ixi-O is a meaningful service in terms of customer value, and we were particularly impressed by LG Uplus’ security technologies and on-device AI capabilities supporting local languages,” said Maxis CEO Goh Seow Eng. “Through this partnership, we look forward to exploring new business opportunities with LG Uplus across various fields.”

Starting with the launch of ixi-O in Malaysia, the two companies are also considering expanding their cooperation into areas such as AI-based smart home services and business-to-business (B2B) solutions.

“Based on the AI experience we have accumulated in Korea, we will accelerate the expansion of our global market presence centered on AI software-as-a-service offerings,” Hong said.