Establishing a dedicated organization directly under the CEO of the home IoT business.
Strengthening research on future consumers, focusing on millennials.


Kim Hyun-seok, President and Head of the CE (Consumer Electronics) Division at Samsung Electronics, held a press conference ahead of the opening of IFA 2018 in Berlin, Germany on August 30 (local time) and presented his outlook on the “direction of home appliance innovation based on artificial intelligence” in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
CEO Kim Hyun-seok said, “We plan to propose a new lifestyle to customers and realize a more advanced home IoT service by leveraging the understanding of consumers accumulated through the CE business and expanding the application of Bixby.”


Strengthening AI-based home IoT business
At the last CES, Samsung Electronics announced plans to apply AI technology to all of its smart devices by 2020.

In line with this, President Kim Hyun-seok emphasized that in order for Samsung Electronics' home IoT services to become integrated into consumers' daily lives, a high level of "personalized service" that can increase individual customer satisfaction is important.

To this end, Samsung Electronics is focusing on securing advanced technologies through collaboration with each business division, AI centers around the world, and external research institutes.

For Samsung AI Center, in order to improve the services currently provided by AI home appliances, we are intensively researching ▲'AI Interaction' that identifies the user's intention through facial recognition such as expressions, ▲'Virtual Understanding' technology that can identify the exact state of an object through real-time image recognition, and ▲'On-Device AI' technology that can implement AI within the product without a server connection.

For example, while currently using the Family Hub refrigerator, you are at the stage of creating a list of stored foods by entering food information by voice, if 'virtual understanding' technology is applied, the refrigerator will be able to provide services such as recognizing the shape of the product on its own, creating a list, and recommending appropriate recipes.

In addition, Samsung Electronics plans to reorganize relevant organizations within its home appliance division into a company-wide organization to strengthen its home IoT business capabilities and focus on strengthening its home IoT business capabilities.

Samsung Electronics expects that the expansion of the built-in market, in which it has recently focused its investments, will create synergy with AI and IoT technologies, leading to continued growth.

In Korea, we are working with leading domestic construction companies such as Samsung C&T and Lotte Engineering & Construction to implement cutting-edge home IoT services for luxury housing complexes. In addition, we are working hard to expand our home IoT business by preparing solutions in areas of high consumer interest such as security, energy, and health (air purification) in line with the domestic launch of 'SmartThings Hub'.


Future lifestyle suggestions targeting millennials
President Kim Hyun-seok said, “Samsung Electronics has changed the industry trend with its unique innovation and challenge in the very conservative home appliance market,” and “These products are not only cutting-edge technology, but also show how to interpret and adapt to the rapidly changing consumer lifestyles. He emphasized, “It is more important to predict.”

Samsung Electronics' 'QLED 8K' TV, which was first unveiled at IFA 2018, is also an example of overcoming market limitations and creating a turning point from 4K to 8K by converting any content to be enjoyed in ultra-high definition on a large screen based on AI technology.

Samsung Electronics is also focusing on the characteristics of the millennial generation, which will lead the coming era. One of the key characteristics of this generation is their familiarity with creating and sharing everything through various screens, including mobile phones, tablets, and TVs. Samsung plans to continuously develop products that display diverse content on screens appropriate for each space and situation, as well as AI technologies that recognize the surrounding environment and enhance the overall user experience, including picture quality and content.

From this perspective, we are also working to provide customers with the opportunity to choose products optimized for their individual lifestyles through a wide product portfolio ranging from The Frame, QLED, 8K, Micro LED, and gaming monitors.

To develop products that offer consumers new lifestyles, Samsung Electronics has established a "Lifestyle Lab" within its home appliance division. This organization, comprised of experts with diverse backgrounds in consumer psychology, computer science, mechanical engineering, design, and marketing, will research customer lifestyle changes from a broad perspective and strengthen collaboration with external partners.

President Kim Hyun-seok stated, “Samsung Electronics will strengthen the AI-related ecosystem by leveraging its own capabilities as well as by activating collaborations with promising startups, external research institutes, and diverse industries. We will also continuously redefine the home appliance sector and strive to offer customers better life solutions and new values.”