South Korean game developer Krafton has created a Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer position, appointing AI division head Kang-wook Lee to the role. Lee will oversee AI research and development and contribute to Krafton’s medium- and long-term AI roadmap. The company cited his experience in AI research, project execution, and organizational leadership as factors in the appointment.

Lee earned a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2016 and has been a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison since 2019. He joined Krafton in 2022, where he reorganized the company’s AI research infrastructure and led the development of its proprietary foundation model.

In 2023, Lee led a joint project with Nvidia to introduce a “co-playable character,” an AI system capable of interacting with users in real time.

In a recent LinkedIn post, Lee described Krafton’s AI division as “probably the strongest AI R&D entity for AI for gaming worldwide, and one of the best AI R&D entities in Korea.” He noted that the team will continue developing foundational research to advance AI for gaming, both for player experiences—highlighting a forthcoming “PUBG Ally” project—and for game development.

Lee also shared that Krafton has founded a new physical AI company, Ludo Robotics, where he will serve as CTO. He described the initiative as an effort to conduct world-class R&D in physical AI by leveraging the intersection of gaming and AI technologies.

With this new role, Krafton said it plans to further develop its AI-driven game infrastructure and technology-led business initiatives, aiming to enhance player experiences, streamline development processes, and explore growth opportunities through AI.