Samsung presents AI despite strike problems

At a presentation in Paris on Wednesday, company executives declined to discuss the failed negotiations that saw workers extend a three-day strike indefinitely.

In January, Samsung introduced the integration of AI applications called Galaxy AI into its flagship smartphone S24.

Jenny Blackburn, vice president of Geminin User Experience and Google, speaks during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event to unveil the next generation of Galaxy phones powered by artificial intelligence (AI) at the Carrousel du Louvre shopping center in Paris on July 10, 2024. EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP

On Wednesday, Samsung announced plans to introduce AI applications in all of its consumer products, from wireless headphones to smartwatches to connected rings.

Samsung’s mobile division head TM Roh said their original goal was to bring Galaxy AI to 100 million devices by the end of this year.

“Progress has accelerated so that at this point we can say that Galaxy AI will be available on 200 million devices within this year,” he said.

From generative AI capabilities to texting short instructions to simultaneously translating phone conversations, the titans of the technology industry are racing to use AI technology in smartphones and other consumer products.

According to Roh, Samsung’s mobile division has invested over a billion dollars in AI, and the company’s overall spending is much higher.

“Although Samsung has made a good start with its ‘Galaxy AI’ marketing, AI services are still limited and do not yet represent an essential element in choosing a smartphone, but merely a means of demonstrating innovation capabilities,” said Thomas Husson, an analyst at technology research and consulting firm Forrester.

He pointed out that Samsung’s smartphone rival Apple, which unveiled its AI initiative called Apple Intelligence last month, lacks the resources to fully realize its ambitions and continues to rely on its partnership with chat GPT maker OpenAI, with its actions constrained by EU regulations.

After being dethroned by Apple as the leading smartphone maker in 2023, Samsung reclaimed the crown in the first quarter of this year with more than 60 million devices sold and a market share of nearly 21 percent, according to technology research firm IDC.

While this represents a 0.7 percent decline in sales compared to the same period in 2023, Apple saw a 9.6 percent decline to over 50 million iPhones sold, leaving the company with a 17.3 percent market share.

Samsung is focusing its smartphone strategy on artificial intelligence and the premium market segment and unveiled the sixth generation of its foldable phones on Wednesday.

The company also plans to expand its offerings into health-related products and announced on Wednesday that sales of its Galaxy Ring will begin on July 24 in a limited number of markets, including the United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, South Korea and the United States.

Unveiled in January, the sensors on the ring allow wearers to collect accurate information about their heart rate and sleep quality and monitor data from their Samsung phones.

Samsung union announces strike after talks fail A union representing tens of thousands of workers at South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics told AFP on Tuesday it would hold a three-day strike later this month after negotiations failed.

Prime Minister visits Samsung’s semiconductor cluster in South Korea’s Gyeonggi province Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his entourage visited Samsung’s semiconductor cluster in Gyeonggi Province on July 3 as part of his official visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK).