What you need to know
- Samsung posted a short teaser video today (Jan 13), which seemingly alludes to a huge update for its AI, Bixby.
- In the clip, the person involved is giving Bixby a list of tasks to complete, which include an online search and saving that information.
- Samsung's executive vice president, Won-joon Choi, stated the company plans to bolster Bixby due to the rise in gen AI and LLMs.
Samsung is ramping up the hype surrounding its next Unpacked event as a new teaser drops and teases is AI assistant.
The Korean OEM posted a short, 17-second video teaser on YouTube today (Jan 13) about a "True AI companion" (via SamMobile). It seems that Samsung is preparing to upgrade Bixby with a better understanding/comprehension of long, complex commands for (likely) a range of topics.
In the video, the woman is talking to Bixby on her Galaxy device, which is only highlighted by a rising whimsical wave of blue energy.
Their command involves telling Bixby to search for an outdoor-seating Italian restaurant that is also "pet-friendly." Additionally, she asks the AI assistant to send it to another person — Luca — and to also "put it in my calendar."
While Samsung Galaxy users have the company's Galaxy AI to help with tasks, it's not really a "companion." So, as the publication also notes, this feels more like a nod at what's coming next for Bixby. What's more, the post speculates that Samsung may improve the AI helper with better NLP (natural language processing), which could explain the demonstration of this long command with various tasks woven throughout.
One thing to note is that Samsung has clearly stated it has no plans of giving up on Bixby, per the executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, Won-joon Choi. Last spring, Won-joon Choi stated that the company needs to "redefine the role of Bixby" as generative AI and LLMs (large language models) continue to rise.
More importantly, Won-joon Choi teased that the work Samsung was doing with Bixby would facilitate more "natural conversations." The company's latest teaser seemingly does this. The company's executive vice president also stated that Bixby is a "key voice assistant" across its gadgets and gizmos.
Before that, Samsung did upgrade Bixby with a hands-free update that brought Galaxy AI to the assistant. Utilizing the company's software, Bixby was able to leverage Live Translate, spelling corrections, webpage summaries, and more all by a user's voice command. This initially arrived for the Galaxy S24 before hitting a few past-gen phones.
There was also an overhaul for Bixby that arrived for an overseas market launch of a Galaxy foldable.
However, with what we've seen teased today, it's clear that there's more in store for Samsung's Bixby on the Galaxy S25. The flagship trio will launch on January 22. It's not far away and we'll finally be able to see if these new Bixby upgrades are worth it or not.
