Samsung is planning to integrate its artificial intelligence-powered digital assistant Bixby in all of its product lineups by 2020.
It was revealed by Samsung Consumer Electronics CEO Kim Hyun-suk in an interview with Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently.
Televisions, smart speakers, and smart fridges will be among dozens of home appliances that are expected to get the digital assistant.
Kim expressed hope that the integration of the Bixby will significantly increase the demand for these devices.
He said a team of 1,000 dedicated engineers would be built to accomplish the project in the specified timeframe.
“We are a device company,” explained Kim. “The rules of the game are different. It’s not right to see it as a matter of being early or late.”
Bixby is reportedly quite similar in function to its counterparts – Google’s Voice Assistant, Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa.
What you need to activate Samsung’s assistant is to say “Hi, Bixby”. Once activated, you will ask the device to perform different tasks like call a number or do not disturb you for a specific period.
According to a study conducted by research firm ABI last year, the number of homes having smart speakers will increase from 52 million to 280 million by the end of 2022.
Samsung had purchased South Korean AI startup Fluenty in November last year to help improve Bixby.
The company is also rumoured to launch its digital assistant an improved version of Bixby later this year, adding new features and functionalities.
Samsung also recently announced its plans to set up three new centres in United Kingdom, Canada and Russia to strengthen its AI capabilities.
This means the company will now operate five centres dedicated to exploring the potential of Al technology, with two others centres being located in the United States and South Korea.