SAMSUNG

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Samsung’s AI vision is to develop and connect AI services across their diverse product portfolio and to distribute such services equally and broadly, to benefit all of humanity. To this aim, Samsung promotes AI for Good and commits to developing human-centric AI products and services based on its ‘AI visions of “User Centric”, “Always There”, “Always Safe”, “Always Helpful”, and “Always Learning”’. The company has further announced that its work on AI is guided by a set of principles for AI ethics:  fairness, transparency, and accountability.

In addition to its 14 R&D centres in 12 countries, Samsung Research has also established seven Global AI Centres in the Republic of Korea, Canada, Russia, the UK, and the USA. AI technologies developed from these centres are being adopted in Samsung products and services.

Samsung Bot is one of Samsung’s next-generation AI projects which is working on developing a home-care robot and a ‘functional’ social robot. Additionally, Samsung Research is working on data intelligence to secure the technologies that would enable machines to make inferences like a human being and to apply them to different AI products and services. In 2020, Samsung Technology and Advanced Research Labs (STAR Labs) announced Neon – an artificially intelligent digital avatar that mimics real human appearance and emotions. Samsung Ballie is another AI-power product described as a ‘personalised companion that understands and supports’ users.

Through Samsung Insights, the company publishes articles, white papers, and case studies on various AI-related issues (including the use of AI by public authorities and military and defence institutions).

Some of Samsung’s AI-enabled products and services are made available to governmental agencies, including in the USA. In 2019, Samsung and IBM announced a partnership to develop a platform providing mobile solutions based on 5G network and AI focusing on public safety; the platform is expected to ‘offer governments and businesses around the globe faster and stronger AI-powered mobile solutions for strengthening safety’.

5G

Samsung’s work in the area of 5G ranges from the development and provision of end-to-end 5G solutions (e.g. chipsets, network infrastructure, and mobile devices) to its contribution to international standardisation processes. It also partners with various organisations and academic institutions to co-develop 5G technologies and standards.

In August 2015, Samsung published its 5G white paper providing an overview of the company’s vision regarding future services, key requirements, and enabling technologies that were to realise 5G.

The company has concluded 5G contracts and partnerships in Korea and worldwide, (e.g. Russia, USA, New Zealand).

Samsung is an active contributor to the standardisation work taking place within the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) and a strong proponent of the organisation’s International Mobile Telecommunications vision for 2020 (IMT-2020), which establishes a set of future benchmarks for network technologies that will meet the growing connectivity demand.

INTERNET OF THINGS

Samsung provides Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for several industries, including retail, healthcare, smart buildings, travel and hospitality, and manufacturing. Its IoT portfolio intersects with some of its other technologies including cloud services, AI, and wireless communications.

In co-operation with various partners, Samsung is also working on smart city projects. For instance, it collaborates with Telensa on smart street lighting solutions and is working on a Urban Data Project to be deployed in Korea as well as in other cities across Asia Pacific and the USA.

Samsung published two white papers on IoT. While the first paper examines how IoT tools can deliver real-time, cross-platform visibility of data, helping you close the gaps in omnichannel retail, the second paper focuses on how to thrive in a changed insurance industry and offers technology solutions as well as recommendations. It further released an e-book that provides a guide to enhancing the patient experience with mobile technology.

AUGMENTED/VIRTUAL REALITY

Samsung produces Gear VR, a virtual reality (VR) headset developed in collaboration with the now Facebook-owned Oculus, and a Samsung 360 Round VR camera.  In addition to focusing on enhancing the functionalities of these products and providing compatible services and apps, the company is also focusing on R&D activities aimed to build the ‘next-level VR experience’.

Samsung is also partnering with various companies and organisations to provide users with more VR experiences. Examples include a partnership with The New York Times (giving users access to VR content) and co-operation with Microsoft (e.g. in the development of the  HMD Odyssey headset).

Samsung is making its VR solutions available to government agencies and advocates for their use including in the context of military training activities.