June 19, 2024 – According to a report by Businesses Korea on the 18th, Samsung Electronics plans to integrate AI functionality into its home appliances starting next year. Following the launch of its first AI smartphone, the Galaxy S24, earlier this year, Samsung aims to swiftly dominate the “super-connected ecosystem” spanning home appliances and smartphones, competing head-to-head with Apple in the “AI race.”
The report, citing industry sources, revealed that the home appliance division of Samsung Electronics is currently developing related products. This marks the first time Samsung has concretized its plans for “on-device AI.” Specifically, the AI embedded in the devices will handle information processing and computation locally, without the need to connect to a server.
Samsung has already planned to introduce a cloud-based large language model for its smart home appliances that support Bixby voice assistant control in July. The first batch of products will include various items such as the Family Hub refrigerator, Bespoke AI series washing machines, and induction cookers.
Insights from Samsung’s related plans indicate that these AI-enabled products are expected to support many AI solutions that were previously only available on smartphones. The voice recognition capability, which can understand complex commands and natural dialogue, is anticipated to be significantly enhanced.
With the Bixby voice assistant enhanced by the large language model, home appliances will be able to comprehend unlearned instructions or complex commands and remember previous conversations. According to the report, the number of home appliances connected to Samsung’s IoT platform, “SmartThings,” has surpassed 20 million units. This figure is more than double the 10 million recorded in the second half of 2022. By 2025, this number is expected to reach 30 million.
