Every major consumer tech player on the market―Microsoft, Apple, Google―has a talking artificial intelligence (AI). In a few months, Samsung will be joining their ranks. Fresh from the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, the South Korean tech giant seems ready to turn over a new leaf this year. Not only is it launching a better handset, it’s also introducing a new voice of the franchise: Bixby.
Who’s Bixby, you ask? Well, he’ll be the newest voice assistant to go neck and neck with the likes of Siri (Apple), Alexa (Amazon), Cortana (Microsoft), and Google Assistant (Google).
Here are a few things we know about the rumored Samsung AI so far:
Bixby is made by the team behind Apple’s Siri
The Korean tech company acquired Viv Labs last October and that was when speculations about the company building its own digital assistant began circulating. The artificial intelligence startup is founded by the very people who created Siri.
A few months before the acquisition, Viv did a demo of its voice assistant going by the same name. They claimed it’s more sophisticated and significantly better than most of the existing AIs we know. The same voice assistant is rumored to be the same one Samsung will program into the Galaxy S8.
Bixby will have both a male and female version
We’ve read reports that Samsung is working on a female version of their AI technology, too. Her possible name? Kestra.
Keep in mind, though, that Samsung hasn’t made any official statement about their upcoming AI service. We really have no choice but to take these rumors with a grain of salt.
Bixby (and Kestra) will debut and be deeply embedded in Samsung Galaxy S8
Rumor has it that Samsung will use the powerful AI in almost all of the native apps on the S8. Meaning, we’ll get to see Bixby in action when the Android phone gets launched in the spring of this year.
And if the rumors are true, expect to see Bixby (or Kestra) having extensive control of S8’s pre-installed apps. Speculations even suggest that the AI may not only fetch you specific photos inside the gallery app, but also do a Web search using a photo you’ve just snapped. It can even process text like how Google Goggles app can read and translate text into different languages.
Bixby will be built into everything Samsung in the future
The Chief Technology Officer at Samsung’s mobile division, Injong Rhee, told The Wall Street Journal last October that Bixby’s services won’t be limited to the Galaxy S8. The company is planning to integrate the AI technology in other Samsung products, like home appliances and wearables. As it turns out, Samsung’s AI will be used to strengthen the brand’s presence in the Internet of Things (IoT) market.
So what can Bixby do with Samsung appliances and wearables? Reports say that the AI will double as a remote control for compatible gadgets and appliances. For instance, you could ask a refrigerator built with Bixby to show you pictures stored on your mobile phone. Intriguing, isn’t it?
Bixby can (possibly) do a LOT more than other AI platforms
In a statement, Mr. Rhee says that Samsung’s upcoming AI boasts of a sophisticated understanding of natural language, incredible machine learning capabilities, and more importantly, developer-friendly. Imagine the efficiency of Google Assistant and Alexa combined with Siri’s human-like attributes.
If speculations are right, Bixby can do more than just Web search and basic digital tasks (e.g. creating electronic reminders, making calls, sending SMS, etc.). Its platform could allow users to tap into third-party services, like calling an Uber and ordering pizza. All these without jumping from app to app. Theoretically, the AI could look up movie schedules, order tickets, and make pre-show food reservations within the same session.
Another unique feature Bixby will likely have is the ability to process payments. Integrated with Samsung’s mobile payment service, the AI may let you pay for items you see online with a voice command.
As promising as it all sounds, we won’t know how much of a game changer Samsung’s AI will be until their next flagship phone launches this year. Will Bixby show us the future beyond Siri? Will it give the brand a chance for a comeback after the failed Galaxy Note 7? We’ll find out real soon. In the meantime, you could try these 20 useful Siri commands to get a better appreciation of the convenience our talking digital companions bring.
