Samsung appears to be breathing new life into its digital assistant, Bixby, amid the intensifying competition to integrate advanced AI functionalities into technology. The company recently unveiled new features under the Galaxy AI umbrella alongside its latest Galaxy S24 series smartphones, aimed at elevating user experiences through task automation and personalized interactions. Now, according to a senior executive, Samsung is poised to enhance Bixby with generative AI capabilities.
In an interview with CNBC, Won-joon Choi, Executive Vice President of Samsung’s mobile business, underscored Bixby’s significance as a pivotal voice assistant across Samsung’s diverse product lineup, spanning mobile devices, televisions, and digital appliances. However, the South Korean tech giant is now focusing on imbuing its core voice assistant with cutting-edge AI capabilities.
Won-joon Choi emphasized the transformative potential of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and large language model (LLM) technology in reshaping Bixby’s role and intelligence. The objective is to equip Bixby with generative AI, enhancing its interface and facilitating more natural conversations across Samsung’s ecosystem, which encompasses smartphones, wearables, TVs, and home appliances.
Since its inception in 2017 with the Galaxy S8 series, Bixby has served as a fundamental voice assistant for Samsung devices. Yet, Samsung has unveiled a suite of generative AI-powered features termed “Galaxy AI” for Galaxy smartphones, debuting with the Galaxy S24 series. These features encompass Circle to Search, chat assistance, Generative Edit, Live Translate, and more, aiming to enrich user experiences.
While specifics regarding the rollout of these generative AI features remain undisclosed, Choi affirmed Samsung’s commitment to delivering them. At the Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung’s VP and Director of Global Product Planning, Junho Park, hinted at AI advancements for Bixby in July 2023, including the integration of generative AI. Presently, generative AI capabilities are limited to Samsung’s smart home appliances, but the forthcoming upgrade could extend these features to a broader array of devices, potentially enhancing user interactions with wearables, smartphones, and other Samsung products.
