Photo courtesy: Cool Blue
Samsung plans to release an upgraded version of its Bixby voice assistant later this year, incorporating its proprietary artificial intelligence models. This information was shared by TM Roh, head of Samsung’s mobile division, in an interview with CNBC.
With digital assistants gaining renewed attention due to the success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Samsung is stepping up its game. Roh disclosed that the company will launch an improved Bixby, powered by Samsung’s own large language model (LLM), in late 2024.
“We’re going to advance Bixby with the application of Gen AI technology,” Roh added.
Introduced in 2017 with the Galaxy S8, Bixby offers various functionalities, including live translations and restaurant recommendations. The Bixby Vision tool allows users to scan objects with their phone camera and receive pertinent information.
While there have been reports about Samsung’s efforts to enhance Bixby, this is the first official confirmation of the launch timeline.
Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence that can create content such as answers or images. An LLM is the AI model trained on vast datasets that underpins generative AI capabilities.
Despite the enhancements to Bixby, Samsung will continue its strategy of supporting multiple voice assistants on its devices. For instance, Google’s AI assistant remains available on Samsung’s latest devices.
Roh’s confirmation of Bixby’s upgrade comes shortly after Apple announced an AI upgrade for its assistant, Siri, which will now leverage OpenAI’s ChatGPT to handle more complex queries.
The Bixby enhancement is part of Samsung’s larger initiative to integrate more AI features into its devices. Recently, the company launched two new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, along with new AI tools aimed at encouraging users to upgrade to premium smartphones.
“We are reinforcing and bringing more AI capabilities to our products,” Roh stated. “As consumers use more AI capabilities, they can actually feel the convenience and benefits they bring. I believe strongly that these Galaxy AI, mobile AI are strong motivations and drivers for the purchase of new products.”