Get ready for another AI digital assistant.
Samsung was rumored to introduce a virtual assistant with the Galaxy S8, with the technology provided by Viv Labs, a company it acquired earlier this year. The South Korean manufacturer has now confirmed to Reuters that it will integrate Viv’s AI assistant in “Galaxy smartphones and expand voice-assistant services to home appliances and wearable technology devices,” starting with the Galaxy S8.
There’s not a whole lot of information when it comes to what the assistant will be capable of, but Samsung has stated that it will offer seamless third-party integration. From Rhee Injong, Samsung’s executive vice president:
Developers can attach and upload services to our agent. Even if Samsung doesn’t do anything on its own, the more services that get attached the smarter this agent will get, learn more new services and provide them to end-users with ease.
Viv’s technology is similar to what Google, Microsoft, and Apple are doing in this space, which should come as no surpirse as its co-founders created Siri. However, Viv’s assistant has the ability to create its own programs for handling new tasks, and it can understand complex queries better.
With Samsung looking to integrate Viv’s technology not just into phones but also into its home appliances and wearables, the goal will be to create a unified voice-guided interface across its product range. Samsung will also be intent on regaining lost ground with the Galaxy S8, and launching an AI-powered assistant that’s billed to be significantly better than the competition is one way of doing that.
