On January 22, 2025, Samsung is set to host its Galaxy Unpacked event, where the much-anticipated Galaxy S25 smartphone is expected to take centre stage. Alongside the flagship device, the company is poised to unveil its next-generation voice assistant, Bixby, which will incorporate advanced generative AI capabilities. This was confirmed through a recent teaser video released on Samsung's official YouTube channel and various social media platforms.
The teaser video features a brief interaction in which a user inquires about the Galaxy Unpacked date. In a demonstration of the new Bixby's functionalities, the voice assistant promptly confirms the date and follows up by offering to save it in the user's calendar. This showcases Bixby's enhanced natural language processing abilities and contextual understanding, highlighting its move towards a more intuitive user experience.
Samsung's commitment to integrating artificial intelligence into Bixby was initially revealed by a company executive in April 2024. This was further validated by mobile head TM Roh, who indicated that the AI-powered version of Bixby would be released within the same year. Notably, the upgraded Bixby has already launched in China as of November 2024 alongside the Galaxy W25 and W25 Flip smartphones, although details regarding its global rollout remain unearthed.
The new Bixby is built upon large language models (LLMs), enabling it to process multiple commands, comprehend natural language seamlessly, and respond with increased speed and relevance. Samsung has illustrated some of the voice assistant's capabilities, such as the ability to add watermarks to images and generate presentations and documents based on user input, showcasing its generative AI features.
Despite the significant advancements in Bixby, it has yet to be included in the Galaxy S24's Android 15 firmware, which is currently undergoing public testing. However, the updated assistant is expected to be part of the One UI 7 update, which is likely to be made available for older Samsung devices like the Galaxy S24 and the Z Fold 6/Flip 6.
Presently, Bixby stands out as one of the few significant voice assistants still awaiting an AI transformation, while competitors such as Google Assistant and Apple's Siri have already integrated AI enhancements to bolster their capabilities. This upcoming event promises to showcase the future of voice assistance and set a new benchmark for user interaction with technology.
Source: Noah Wire Services