AI Assistant in Smartwatch
New rumors suggest that Samsung Electronics will use its artificial intelligence (AI) assistant named “Bixby” in wearable devices as well, including smartwatch, after the Galaxy S8, expanding its service areas. As Google is also seeking to expand its voice assistant “Google Assistant” service, the AI competition between Samsung and Google seems to be expanded to the wearables beyond smartphones.
According to foreign news reports and industry sources on December 28, Samsung Electronics will use Bixby in the Galaxy S8 to be released next year as well as its next-generation Gear S4 smartwatch.
Bixby is the name for Samsung Electronics’ AI voice-guided assistant service. Samsung has been making an every effort to develop AI technologies after acquiring Viv Labs, a U.S.-based startup founded by a group of three people who created Apple's voice assistant Siri.
Bixby will be available in all apps that would come pre-installed on the Galaxy S8, which is to be its first test platform. Samsung’s existing voice assistant “S Voice” is likely to be replaced by Bixby and users can operate all apps in the Galaxy S8 using Bixb with voice commands, according to foreign news reports.
In addition, some say that Bixby will be used in new wearable devices to be launched starting from next year. Samsung’s next “Gear S4” smartwatch is likely to be installed with Bixby. Users will also be able to use the latest AI service in the Gear S2 and Gear S3 through software updates.
When more and more people use Bixby service, the competition in AI services between Google and Samsung will also expand from smartphones to wearables. Previously, Google adopted its AI voice assistant “Google Assistant” in its high-end Pixel smartphones released in the second half of this year. Starting with its first Pixel smartphones, Google is planning to launch two smartwatch models in the first half of next year. Google Assistant functions will be available in these smartwatches.
An official from the industry said, “The movement that expands AI from smartphones to wearable devices and even home appliances will be accelerated even further next year.”