[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyun-ah ] The way people search for mobile plans is changing. Instead of visiting telecom companies’ websites directly to compare plans, users are now telling ChatGPT their desired criteria to find suitable plans.

LG Uplus(032640)Following this trend, KTCorporation(030200)has also linked its product information to ChatGPT, as telecom companies have begun utilizing AI as a new channel for product discovery.

On September 16, LG Uplus launched the “U+” plugin on ChatGPT, allowing users to check the details and benefits of its online-exclusive “Nugget” plan.

Customers can check NUGGET’s data allowance, monthly fees, and key benefits directly within ChatGPT. After selecting a plan of interest, they can review detailed information and navigate to the official NUGGET website to sign up.

Previously, customers had to visit the carrier’s website to manually search for and compare various plans. Now, they can simply ask ChatGPT a question like, “I use about 20GB of data a month—which plan is best for me?” to find relevant plans.

However, this is currently just the “exploration” phase. Procedures requiring personal information and authentication—such as identity verification and subscription applications—are still handled on the official LG Uplus website, as before.

LG Uplus plans to expand the functionality in October to allow users to select subscription types, SIM card types, and activation methods. Going forward, the company plans to broaden the service so that users can search for not only NUGET plans but also bundled plans via ChatGPT.

KTCorporation also launched a service on the 6th that links its product information to ChatGPT. Users can check not only wireless plans but also internet and IPTV products via ChatGPT.

For example, if you ask, “Tell me about a 5G plan suitable for heavy data users,” the service will find relevant plans based on KTCorporation’s official product information. It is also possible to compare the key benefits of each plan.

KTCorporation plans to expand this integration beyond ChatGPT to other AI platforms in the future. In the long term, the company also intends to pursue personalized services—such as checking rates or membership status—by linking this data with customer usage information.

Similar trends are emerging not only among telecom carriers but also in the retail industry. OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT beyond simply searching for products to serve as an AI shopping portal where users can discover and compare products. Major retailers are connecting their product information to ChatGPT, allowing customers to find products through conversation.

In essence, the way people explore products is shifting from “search” to “conversation.”

Whereas consumers previously had to search for desired products themselves, it will soon be possible for them to simply say, “I use about 20GB of data per month and frequently use OTT services,” and the AI will find products that match those criteria.

From the telecom carriers’ perspective, this creates a new customer touchpoint. Rather than waiting for customers to visit their websites, they are bringing product information directly to the AI platforms where customers already spend their time.

There are predictions that, in the future, as AI moves beyond simply displaying product information to analyzing individual usage patterns, recommending plans, and facilitating sign-ups, the very way telecom companies sell their products could change.