Korea Herald correspondent

LAS VEGAS -- Samsung Electronics announced its “AI for All” vision at CES 2025 on Monday, highlighting new features of its AI home platform for a more personalized, connected experience.

At the CES 2025 Samsung Press Conference, where some 1,300 participants from around the world gathered, the tech giant also unveiled a plan to start sales of its AI companion robot Ballie in the first half of this year.

Opening the global press event, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and CEO Han Jong-hee introduced the company’s roadmap for Home AI focusing on making AI an “everyday, everywhere” experience.

“I’m proud of how we have introduced new technologies and intelligence to the home, connected key devices and set the standard for the home of the future,” Han said during the global press conference held on the eve of the official kick-off of the CES 2025.

“This year at CES, we are reinforcing our commitment to delivering personalized experiences through our widespread implementation of AI, and we will continue this journey of AI leadership in the home and beyond, not just for the next decade, but for the next century.”

Jonathan Gabrio, head of the Connected Experience Center at Samsung Electronics America, explained that Samsung's Home AI is now capable of tracing not only human movements but also the individual voices of each household member -- a feature dubbed SmartThings Ambient Sensing, powered by Spatial AI.

With the gathered information about surroundings and individuals, the smart home platform would route a request to the right devices, rooms and features automatically, meaning that it would turn off the lights and the TV when it senses the user has fallen asleep watching a movie, Gabrio said. A robot vacuum cleaner would prepare to clean up hair when the user starts blow drying their hair, and it would keep the user updated on their pets, "just like a video diary," he added.

The smart home platform will also help users save time and energy usage, as well as help users maintain their health conditions.

"Home AI can help you save time as well as energy, it can help keep your family and your home safe. And it can recommend what you need before you even know it to live better, easier, and simpler," Han said.

Samsung has expanded the smart home platform for businesses spanning retail spaces, schools, ships and cars. According to the company, SmartThings Pro would enable small business owners to manage inventory and price tag adjustments, better understand the store's energy usage and identify the maintenance needs of connected devices.

In collaboration with Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung is developing SmartThings for Ships to support a comprehensive monitoring system and pre-sailing mode, which allows captains and crews to automate all settings including temperature and lights when the engine starts.

The tech giant has also teamed up with Hyundai Motor Group to bring connectivity solutions to Hyundai's electric vehicles. SmartThings helps drivers locate their parked cars in crowded parking lots and also make recommendations on whether to recharge EVs based on schedules and rates.

The announcement that Samsung's ball-shaped robot Ballie will finally go on sale this year drew a round of applause during the hour-long conference. Completely redesigned since its initial concept debut in 2020, Ballie now features voice interaction capabilities and a built-in projector for streaming information.

During a media-exclusive prebooth tour held a day before the official opening, Hyundai Motor's large electric sport utility vehicle, the Ioniq 9, and a 1:4 scale model of Samsung Heavy Industries' autonomous vessel, Shift-Auto, stood out as highlights at Samsung's 3,368 square meter booth, demonstrating the expansive potential of the SmartThings platform.

Samsung's showroom, the largest booth at the CES 2025 event, demonstrated the seamless connectivity and convenience its Home AI provides, offering more of an informative experience rather than promoting a wide array of electronic appliances as in previous years.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)