1 day Ago By Bloomberg
Samsung Electronics is ramping up investment in artificial intelligence for consumer electronics, betting on its ubiquitous presence in gadgets from smartphones to TVs to help it stake out a spot in the AI arena. Samsung is counting on its unique market position as a leader in not just mobile devices but also home appliances like refrigerators and washers, Chief Executive Officer Han Jong-Hee said in an interview at CES in Las Vegas. The company wants to better connect the half-billion devices it sells every year to help make up for missteps that have cost it the lead against big tech rivals in areas such as top-end memory and generative AI.
South Korea’s most valuable company saw its shares slump by a third in 2024 as it failed to close the gap on compatriot SK Hynix in the contest to sell advanced memory for AI accelerators. Prolonged delays in securing Nvidia’s approval for its high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, chips translated to a loss of investor confidence, despite a strong year from its smartphone group. At CES, Samsung chose to emphasise its advantage in smart home technology.
Unlike rivals Apple, Amazon and Alphabet’s Google, Samsung’s home connectivity hubs are built directly into appliances consumers are buying anyway. Under Han’s leadership, the company has been installing AI chips in its fridges, washing machines and robot vacuum cleaners. “Ultimately, our goal is to create new products that people haven’t experienced before,” said Han, a 36-year Samsung veteran who is widely credited for securing Samsung’s position as the world’s top TV seller over nearly two decades.
Samsung also announced a new AI initiative for TVs, which will compete with Google’s TV software and offer real-time translation, content analysis and audio and video enhancements powered by AI..
