Samsung says it can upgrade Bixby with generative AI

Samsung may add generative artificial intelligence technology to its Bixby voice assistant, a top company executive told CNBC, as the South Korean giant looks to improve the appeal of its devices.

Bixby launched in 2017 with Samsung’s Galaxy S8 smartphone. The software offers a number of features, including live translations or restaurant recommendations.

But voice assistants have typically been less conversational and relied on users asking questions and getting answers.

Chatbots are now more advanced and can handle much more complex queries since the advent of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and its rivals. These new age chatbots are an example of generative AI that allows users to prompt with a query and will generate a response in the form of text, image and now even video.

Samsung’s Bixby is in the company’s devices, from smartphones and smartwatches to its appliances. The company sees it as a key tool for consumers to control their devices at home.

Until now, Bixby did not have the capabilities of ChatGPT.

Like many smartphone makers, Samsung is looking to infuse its devices with more advanced AI features. The company also launched new features with Galaxy AI alongside its latest S24 smartphone series. This includes an option that allows users to frame something on their screens and search for it on Google without having to switch apps.

The tech giant is looking to improve its AI with Bixby.

“So Bixby has been a key voice assistant for Samsung, not only for mobile devices, but also for TVs and digital devices that exist in the Samsung ecosystem. So it’s been the main voice assistant so far,” Won-joon Choi, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, told CNBC in an interview last month.

“With the advent of generative AI and LLM (large language model) technology, I believe we need to redefine the role of Bixby so that Bixby can be equipped with generative AI and become smarter in the future,” said Choi, adding this will “allow for a more natural conversation and craft an interface that supports Samsung products in our ecosystem.”

Choi didn’t give a timeline for when Bixby might get generative AI features, but said Samsung is “working so hard” to deliver them.

Samsung’s focus on the technology comes at a time when investors are scrutinizing what Apple will offer when it comes to generative AI. Apple has announced that it will hold its annual developer conference, WWDC, in June, when the company is expected to discuss some AI features in its products.