Samsung Newsroom attended the final Tech Forum session, titled “Understanding Home, Understanding You: Rethinking the Role of the Home in the Era of AI,” to examine the transformative potential of AI in smart home innovation and the need for collaboration to deliver on the promise of Home AI. 

(From left to right) Tobin Richardson, Jaeyeon Jung, Patrick Chomet and Carolina Milanesi

Smart UI as the Gateway to Home AI 

User interface (UI) is a critical element in the Home AI experience, serving as the bridge between users and their mobile devices, TVs, home appliances and more. 

Patrick Chomet from Samsung Electronics

“UI is a key area in the age of AI,” said Patrick Chomet, Mobile Strategy Advisor at Samsung Electronics. “With the advent of LLM multimodal AI, a big shift has taken place in User Interface (UI), enabling people to get things done in natural and simple ways such as gesture, voice or text interaction. Users no longer need to understand devices, rather the device should understand the user’s intent.”  

He explained how intelligent user interfaces not only enable more intuitive interactions but also procure deeper understandings of user context and intent, which brands can use to optimise in-home solutions.  

Jaeyeon Jung from Samsung Electronics

“We have implemented an intuitive and concise UI for various SmartThings features,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of SmartThings Team at Samsung Electronics.  

She engaged the audience with examples of the latest SmartThings functions including Quick Remote, a feature that enables users to control their TVs with a connected Galaxy smartphone; 3D Map View, a feature that allows users to manage their entire home and check energy consumption through Galaxy smartphones and tablets; and Home Insight, a feature that provides timely home reports and delivers personalised recommendations to users. 

The Role of Platforms and Standardisation in Shaping Smart Homes 

The panelists then delved into the efforts required to make Home AI a reality. Moderator Carolina Milanesi, CEO and founder of Heart of Tech and President at Creative Strategies, introduced the topics of integrated AI platforms and industry standards to guide the discussion. 

“As we scale our AI platform to reach across applications, services and multiple devices, the experience can be optimised around the user,” said Chomet. “User context and richer insights can be gathered to deliver relevant and truly personalised experiences.” 

Jaeyeon Jung and Patrick Chomet from Samsung Electronics.

“The SmartThings platform is 10 years in the making and while the concept of a smart home isn’t new, AI technology is what is truly creating the intelligent home” added Jung, highlighting how a consistent and connected AI platform empowers users to enjoy effortless convenience from anywhere. “The transition from a device-centric philosophy to an AI-powered, user-centric one provides users with a personalised, connected experience that feels like home — no matter where they are.”  

Tobin Richardson from the Connectivity Standards Alliance

Tobin Richardson, President and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), noted the importance of industry standards in building an ecosystem in which devices can be connected simply, securely and seamlessly.  

“Building blocks for AI in the home are grounded in seamless connectivity, with AI relying on device interoperability to thrive. A common language like Matter enables devices to communicate effortlessly, setting the stage for AI innovation,” he said, highlighting that the goal is not just to create a perfect connected experience but to foster a robust and trustworthy industry while making smart homes more accessible and reliable. 

“Alliance Members like Samsung are doing remarkable work in the AI space, showcasing how technology can adapt to users’ needs, creating a smarter and more personalised living experience,” said Richardson, reaffirming the company’s dedication to collaboration. “I am continually inspired to see how these advancements are shaping the future of connected homes.” 

A More Personalised, Secure Smart Home 

 Addressing concerns regarding the challenge of providing personalised experiences in homes shared by multiple people, Chomet spoke on how AI technology can understand intent and context to provide an optimised experience for each user. He emphasised that Samsung will innovate for multi-device connectivity, rather than individual products. 

Patrick Chomet, Jaeyeon Jung and Tobin Richardson

Jung also cited practical cases of how Samsung Health and SmartThings are connecting data and devices to provide hyper-personalised health experiences. For example, Samsung Health and SmartThings can optimise sleep environments by automatically adjusting temperature and humidity based on users’ sleep patterns and the environmental conditions they live in. When Galaxy devices recognise that users have been exercising, SmartThings will activate appliances such as air conditioners and washing machines upon their return home. 

Carolina Milanesi poses questions to the panelists.

The discussion then touched on the critical role of security and the protection of personal information in smart homes. 

“Samsung places the highest priority on security in every aspect,” said Jung. She highlighted how Knox Matrix safeguards the smart home ecosystem while Knox Vault protects hardware. “By integrating the expansive SmartThings ecosystem and AI with the robust security of Samsung Knox, users can enjoy personalised smart living experiences safely.” 

“With more than eight out of ten consumers stating that security is ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to them, security and privacy protection are key factors,” said Richardson, echoing the importance of trust in connected devices. “Matter, our next-generation smart home standard, is built with security in mind and offers a level of trust and clarity users can rely on.” 

The Home AI session highlighted the advancements AI brings to creating smarter, safer and more adaptive living spaces. By combining hyper-personalised experiences with advanced security measures, Samsung’s innovations are paving the way for a new era of intelligent, connected homes that integrate into every aspect of daily life. 

LONDON, U.K. – Jan. 6, 2025 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled its new “AI for All” vision at CES® 2025, with the focus of making AI an “Everyday, Everywhere” experience. Building on a decade of connected home leadership, Samsung is leveraging the power of AI to bring intelligence to every day, enabling people to experience a more personal, impactful and empowering world.

Jong-Hee (JH) Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Samsung’s Device eXperience (DX) Division, opened Samsung’s CES 2025 press conference by introducing the company’s roadmap for Home AI, a plan for redefining the meaning of home by providing truly personalised services across all intelligent, connected devices. This strategy, alongside Samsung’s innovations in AI-powered devices across mobile, home appliances and visual display, is a testament to Samsung’s longstanding commitment to human-centric innovation and brings the power of AI to everyday experiences to make life better for all.

“I’m proud of how we have introduced new technologies and intelligence to the home, connected key devices and set the standard for the home of the future,” Vice Chairman Han said. “This year at CES, we are reinforcing our commitment to delivering personalised experiences through our widespread implementation of AI and we will continue this journey of AI leadership in the home and beyond, not just for the next decade, but for the next century.”

Elevating Everyday Experiences With Home AI

Later in the press conference, Jonathan Gabrio, Head of the Connected Experience Centre at Samsung Electronics America, expanded on Samsung’s Home AI vision, underscoring the company’s commitment to integrating AI across the entire connected experience to cater to diverse lifestyles. From single-person households to multi-generational families under one roof, Home AI learns from habits and adapts to individual routines for a hyper-personalised smart home experience.

Security and Privacy are at the heart of Samsung’s strategy for Home AI. Samsung recognises that as users introduce more connected devices into their homes and AI becomes more personal, it must also protect users’ privacy. To meet these evolving needs, the company has extended its security capabilities. Now, Samsung Knox Matrix protects home appliances along with mobile devices and TVs with its signature blockchain technology, ensuring that connected devices are working together to protect the user’s home, data and each other from digital threats. With Knox Matrix Dashboard, a transparent privacy control, Samsung offers simplified security management across the entire connected home. As information syncs across devices, Knox Matrix’s Credential Sync ensures that data can only be encrypted or decrypted from the user’s devices, and Samsung Knox Vault adds another layer of protection, keeping sensitive information like passwords or PINs isolated in a secure location.

Samsung’s One UI provides an integrated software experience across all connected Samsung devices, enhancing interoperability, empowering users with AI-based features and providing software updates for up to seven years.

Underpinning it all is SmartThings, Samsung’s smart home platform that brings intelligent connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world. With Samsung’s belief in open innovation and partnership as a foundation, SmartThings is being equipped with the latest AI technology to streamline and personalise the smart home experience for complete convenience. SmartThings Ambient Sensing intuitively understands the user’s environment and situational context by analysing even human movements and ambient sounds through connected devices within the home, thereby enabling those devices to intelligently and seamlessly respond and adapt to daily routines.

Bixby Voice, an enhanced AI voice assistant, will be integrated to increase usability. The assistant has been trained so that it can recognise individual voices and respond to commands in a way that works best for each user.

These Home AI updates free up time previously spent on home management, allowing users to focus on what matters most and explore new passions. Samsung’s new Galaxy Book5 Pro and Galaxy Book5 360 are AI PCs built to boost productivity with Intel® Core Ultra Processors (Series 2) and enhance creativity with features like AI Select and Samsung Studio. AI Select works to make browsing a breeze, while Samsung Studio lets users edit across their Galaxy smartphone, tablet or PC wherever inspiration strikes, at home or on the go. Powered by the NPU, Photo Remaster upscales low-resolution photos into high-quality visuals, while Storage Share lets users directly access the files on their smartphone from their PC, avoiding the process of downloading.

With productivity comes proactivity, too. When AI and Samsung Health combine, users are empowered to take control of their health and wellnessWith AI-driven health insights gathered on the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch, Samsung is helping users make sense of their data and arrive at more informed decisions about their well-being. These new capabilities will further improve the overall experience of Samsung Health, which stands apart as an end-to-end health solution that integrates the entire home seamlessly.

Seamless Entertainment in the AI Era

Samsung’s latest screen experiences, powered by Samsung Vision AI, bring unexpected joy to users’ days through unparalleled personalisation and exciting new features. The AI Screen experience infuses intelligence into TVs, bringing Generative Wallpaper, Live Translate and Click to Search to users. At the forefront of this technology is the Neo QLED 8K, which provides the most advanced viewing experiences though AI features like 8K AI Upscaling Pro, Auto HDR Remastering Pro and Colour Booster Pro — all of which work behind the scenes to intelligently enhance picture quality. Plus, The Frame’s art experience is expanding, allowing all Samsung QLEDs to come with a digital collection of over 3,000 art pieces, making it so that they can turn any room into a personal gallery.

Samsung’s commitment to its Screens Everywhere strategy is reflected in new display options for its appliances, including its new refrigerators with 9″ AI Home displays and other devices with 7″ screens. Consumers will be able to enjoy heightened functionality — including various entertainment services, AI features such as AI Vision Inside and direct access to multiple online grocery retailers — on a broader range of products.

Taking AI Everywhere

Beyond the home, Samsung’s AI innovations are set to transform new categories and industries with SmartThings Pro. Created to bring the same AI-powered digital solutions to business partners as SmartThings offers consumers, SmartThings Pro is a B2B solution spanning multi-residential homes to retail spaces, hotels, schools and more. Since its launch last June, SmartThings Pro provides businesses with integrations to better understand energy usage, proactively identify devices with maintenance needs and offer comprehensive control of connected solutions. Samsung is working with partners to create an innovative platform, Future Innovation Technology (FIT), for larger businesses and buildings to set automated climate controls that save energy and reduce electricity costs.

The company is also working with Samsung Heavy Industries on a new SmartThings collaboration that uses the Matter connectivity standard to connect with compatible ships. SmartThings for Ships offers a Pre-Sailing Mode, which allows captains and crews to automate when the engine starts and turn on settings for temperature and lights, saving time and energy. Meanwhile, Care Mode provides a complete view of a ship’s power, AC systems and smoke alarms, while Protection Mode constantly monitors for — and will alert captain and crew to — any abnormal activity.

Additionally, Samsung is expanding its SmartThings and automotive integrations in a new partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to bring SmartThings to Hyundai EVs. With the expanded ecosystem, users can now use SmartThings Find to easily locate their parked car, even in crowded parking lots. With the power of Home AI, SmartThings can make recommendations on when to recharge EVs based on schedules and rates. And if there is a neighbourhood power outage, it will automatically activate Battery Backup Mode, which works alongside AI Energy Mode to extend the battery energy to power home essentials.

In the Automotive space, Samsung and its subsidiary Harman continue their promise to transform the in-car experience with new products that bring contextual awareness into the cabin. Leveraging Samsung’s expertise in UX and AI, HARMAN’s new in-vehicle avatar acts as an intelligent digital copilot that works with Harman products like Ready Care and Ready Vision to anticipate needs while drivers focus on the road.

Empowering the Next Generation

Finally, Inhee Chung, Vice President of the Corporate Sustainability Centre, underscored how Samsung’s AI for All vision is rooted in the brand’s commitment to harness the power of advanced technology for a better, more inclusive world. Samsung is introducing diverse and enhanced accessibility features through its AI-powered devices and services, starting with the ability to automatically sync accessibility features across home appliances from a smartphone.

From the first half of this year, Bixby will automatically have connected devices display text in high contrast or provide a voice guide for family members with low vision, all by simply recognising their voice. For those with low vision, AI is improving Audio Subtitles by lowering foreign language audio and reading out the subtitles in the language of the user’s choosing.

Chung also discussed how initiatives like Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, Samsung Innovation Campus and the company’s work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are enabling the next generation of innovators. Today, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow challenges more than 2.6 million students across 66 countries to use STEM to address challenges in their community. In particular, during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games last year, Samsung and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched a digital community “Together for Tomorrow, Enabling People” and appointed top 10 teams from global Solve for Tomorrow as community ambassadors. Meanwhile, Samsung Innovation Campus has helped prepare nearly 180,000 young people across 33 countries for the workforce through training on emerging technologies like AI, IoT and big data.

In a video message, Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, joined VP Chung to share an update on Samsung and UNDP’s partnership to harness the power of technology for good. Since its initiation five years ago, the Samsung Global Goals app has raised over $20 million thanks to nearly 300 million users who are using a Galaxy smartphone, tablet or watch. Plus, Samsung and UNDP’s joint work through the Generation17 initiative continues to inspire extraordinary young leaders around the world who are mobilising their communities to advance the Global Goals.