Samsung reveals vision for expansion: AI leadership for next century
Samsung Electronics CEO and Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee delivers a speech during the company's press conference for CES 2025 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Monday (local time). Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
LAS VEGAS — Samsung Electronics unveiled a series of artificial intelligence (AI) objectives during several press events at the CES 2025 tech trade show in Las Vegas on Monday (local time), highlighting its ambition to expand AI applications beyond the home and into all aspects of life.
In line with these goals, the company designed its booth to highlight AI-driven experiences enabled by its products and services, with home appliances and laptops playing a secondary role at the exhibition.
During the company’s press conference at Mandalay Bay, Samsung CEO and Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee introduced the company’s road map for home AI, a plan he said will redefine the meaning of home by providing personalized services across intelligent and connected devices.
“I’m proud of how we introduced new technologies and intelligence to the home, connected the things and set the standard for the home of the future,” Han said, referring to the Internet of Things (IoT).
“We will continue this journey of home AI leadership not just for the next decade, but for the next century. And we don’t stop at the home.”
Pak Hon from Samsung Electronics' Mobile Experience division introduces Samsung Health during the company's press conference for CES 2025 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Monday (local time). Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Throughout the conference, Samsung focused on offering a glimpse into the future of AI integration with connected devices, aiming to provide personalized experiences that cater to diverse lifestyles.
A standout feature was SmartThings Ambient Sensing technology, which intuitively understands the user’s environment and situational context by analyzing human movements and ambient sounds through connected devices within the home.
At the Samsung booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center, visitors had the opportunity to experience a range of scenarios where this ambient sensing technology served as the foundation for Samsung’s home AI vision.
Journalists and media representatives enter Samsung Electronics' booth for CES 2025 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Monday (local time). Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
To optimize energy usage, smart appliances detect the presence of people at home, automatically turning off the TV or adjusting other devices based on users' lifestyle patterns.
Using ambient sensing technology, the AI can track user movements during workouts and offer real-time advice on maintaining correct form. In one scenario, when a user dries their hair, the AI detects the sound of the hair dryer and activates a robot vacuum to approach and stand by, ready to clean up any fallen hair.
For health care, the AI gathers users' sleep data from wearable devices and adjusts the room's temperature or humidity to create optimal sleep conditions. If the user's sleep quality doesn’t improve, the AI can suggest scheduling a video consultation with a doctor. Additionally, it can recommend nutritious recipes by analyzing the ingredients stored in the refrigerator.
A presenter introduces Samsung Electronics' SmartThings Ambient Sensing technology at the company's booth for CES 2025 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Monday (local time). Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
Also unveiled during the press conference was the Vision AI initiative, where AI-powered TVs understand the user’s demands, preferences and intentions to deliver personalized viewing experiences. This initiative will be implemented in Samsung's TVs set to be released this year, featuring functions like Click to Search, which provides instant information about the displayed content, and Live Translate, powered by an on-device AI translation model.
The Hyundai IONIQ 9 electric vehicle is displayed at Samsung Electronics' booth for CES 2025 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Monday (local time). Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
The company also showcased several examples of its SmartThings IoT platform extending beyond the home, including the SmartThings-embedded Hyundai IONIQ 9 electric vehicle and Samsung Heavy Industries' autonomous ship, the Shift-Auto.
To prioritize delivering AI experiences for visitors, Samsung made the bold decision not to emphasize its newest products at the booth. While its latest laptops, the Galaxy Book 5 Pro and Galaxy Book 5 360, were on display, they were primarily used to demonstrate how AI-powered laptops can enhance efficiency.
Alana Gomez-Solis of Samsung Electronics America announces that artificial intelligence robot Ballie will be released in the first half of 2025 during the company's press conference for CES 2025 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Monday (local time). Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
During the press conference, the company made a surprise announcement that its AI home robot, Ballie, will be released in the first half of this year. However, the ball-shaped robot was not displayed at the booth. Instead, the company set up a separate zone outside the Las Vegas Convention Center to showcase new products, though it was only accessible to corporate clients.
“At our booth at CES 2025, we focused on delivering AI experiences and connectivity to audiences,” a Samsung official said. “In this process, we tried to make sure that products are naturally integrated to highlight experience and connectivity.”