November 21, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Tech giant Samsung Electronics held a developer conference on Nov. 20 in Seoul where it highlighted its vision for artificial intelligence solution Bixby.

Many of the things introduced at the domestic event were already shared at the firm’s developer conference held earlier this month in San Francisco. They include an AI development kit available for any developer, called Bixby Developer Studio, and Bixby Marketplace through which users can find new AI functions and applications. 

In addition to these features, a top Samsung executive who oversees the AI projects at the firm shared a few more details at the Korean event. 

Chung Eui-suk, head of Samsung Electronics' AI division, speaks at the developer conference held in Seoul on Nov. 20.

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Talking to The Investor at the conference, head of Samsung’s AI division Chung Eui-suk said the company is preparing to install the next-generation Bixby in the upcoming foldable smartphone.

“The new Bixby currently in the pipeline will be featured in the foldable smartphone, but it has not been decided yet whether it will be named Bixby 3.0,” said Chung, adding that the AI software will feature a more upgraded platform with various contents.

The tech giant is currently adding the finishing touches to its first foldable phone, which can switch between a 7.3 tablet PC and a 4-inch smartphone. The smartphone with the new form factor is expected to be first showcased early next year.

Bixby was first launched in May 2017 as Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Siri and the Google Assistant, and its upgraded version, called Bixby 2.0, was released along with Galaxy Note 9 in August this year.

Since the first launch of the AI solution, Samsung has been trying to install the voice assistant in a wider range of its products, including fridges and TVs.

Samsung, which produces 500 million electronic products every year, plans to install Bixby in all its products by 2020, and to invest US$22 billion in developing AI technologies by the same year.

“AI technology in general has just taken baby steps, and it would evolve dramatically over the next 10 years as the Android operating system has done for the past decade,” Chung said.

It currently operates seven global AI laboratories, including ones in Toronto, San Francisco, Moscow and Cambridge.

To attract seasoned developers in the segment, Samsung said it would put a focus on openness by making development tools available for outside developers, offering diverse language options on the Bixby platform, and enabling the AI solution to be deployed in other products.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)