NCSoft Unveils Proprietary AI Language Model ‘VARCO’

Full-Scale Advancement of Generative AI Research and Business

NCSoft (hereinafter NC) unveiled its self-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language model ‘VARCO LLM (Large Language Model)’ on the 16th, becoming the first domestic game company to do so. ‘VARCO’ is the integrated brand name of NC’s AI language model, meaning 'Via AI, Realize your Creativity and Originality.'

The types of proprietary language models (LLMs) operated under the ‘VARCO’ brand are broadly divided into ▲Foundation models ▲Instruction models ▲Dialogue models ▲Generative models. Each LLM’s performance is distinguished by the scale of its parameters.

NC first released a small-to-medium scale Korean-only ‘VARCO LLM’ that can be easily utilized by individuals and businesses. This model is characterized by being trained primarily on high-quality data carefully selected by NC from the early stages of development, allowing users to conveniently apply it to their business.

The models serviced by NC are distributed through Amazon SageMaker JumpStart. Amazon SageMaker JumpStart is a machine learning hub that includes foundation models, built-in algorithms, and pre-built machine learning solutions. Through collaboration with Amazon, users worldwide can use ‘VARCO LLM’ free of charge for one month.

NC plans to introduce a bilingual model supporting both Korean and English within this month and will sequentially release language models of various scales according to their types.

On the same day, NC also introduced three AI generation platforms based on ‘VARCO LLM’: ▲Image generation tool (VARCO Art) ▲Text generation and management tool (VARCO Text) ▲Digital human creation, editing, and operation tool (VARCO Human). These three generative AI platforms are serviced under the name ‘VARCO Studio.’ The goal of ‘VARCO Studio’ is to enhance efficiency in areas such as planning and art necessary for game development.

NC will actively engage in various AI research and businesses based on ‘VARCO LLM,’ including digital humans, generative AI platforms, and conversational language models. Additionally, through collaboration with partners in education, finance, and bio sectors, NC plans to introduce domain-specific models that combine specialized knowledge.

Lee Jae-hee, NCSoft’s Chief Research Officer (CRO), stated, “VARCO demonstrates the best performance compared to similarly sized Korean language models released so far,” and added, “Through VARCO, we will provide new value and experiences not only in game content development but also across various domains.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.