Rather than replacing it, the company is concentrating on enhancing its voice assistant using conceptual AI.
By Allison Johnson, a seasoned critic with a decade of experience covering client software, focusing on telecoms and smart photography. Previously associated with DPReview.
Bixby is not obsolete yet, as affirmed by a Samsung executive in conversation with CNBC, emphasizing the company’s dedication to enriching its voice assistant with AI capabilities. This approach indicates that Samsung perceives rivals like Gemini as competitors rather than direct replacements.
This clarification is reassuring as there were doubts emerging. Despite introducing numerous innovative conceptual AI features for its flagship phones earlier this year, Samsung’s voice assistant received minimal attention. The collaboration between Samsung and Google on the integration of Google’s on-device AI model, the Gemini Nano, into the Galaxy S24 smartphones hinted at a potential replacement of Bixby with Google’s technology. However, recent statements suggest otherwise.
Samsung’s Won-joon Choi, the executive vice president of mobile, expressed to CNBC the necessity to redefine Bixby’s role by incorporating generative AI, aiming for enhanced intelligence and more natural conversational abilities. Samsung joins other tech giants in the race to infuse AI into their voice assistants, with Apple anticipated to introduce an AI-driven Siri at the upcoming WWDC event.
Meanwhile, the AI features of the Galaxy S24 have been extended to last year’s phones through a One UI 6.1 update. The comprehensive suite known as Galaxy AI is currently complimentary. Should Samsung opt to monetize its AI offerings in the future, it will need to significantly enhance its capabilities. Bixby seems to be a crucial component of this strategic vision, despite its current state.
