Samsung reaffirms commitment to Bixby amid speculation about its future
Despite its absence during the unveiling of new AI features for Samsung's flagship phones, the tech giant has confirmed that development of its voice assistant, Bixby, is ongoing. This assurance comes in response to speculation about Bixby's future, after it was not mentioned in relation to the Galaxy S24 phones' use of Google's on-device AI model, Gemini Nano. Samsung's Executive Vice President of Mobile, Won-joon Choi, clarified this in a recent CNBC interview.
Bixby to undergo redefinition for enhanced AI capabilities
In the CNBC interview, Choi emphasized the need for Bixby to become "smarter" and more adept at natural conversation. "I believe that we have to redefine the role of Bixby so that Bixby could be equipped with generative AI," he stated. This redefinition is part of Samsung's ongoing efforts to integrate advanced AI into its voice assistant, amid a global race among tech companies for superior AI integration.
Samsung's AI enhancements not limited to Bixby
Samsung has already introduced AI features for last year's Galaxy models via a One UI 6.1 update, known as Galaxy AI. This package is currently available at no cost to users. However, if Samsung decides to charge for these facilities in the future, it will need to significantly boost their capabilities. Despite potential changes, Bixby remains integral to Samsung's future plans.
