Samsung Executive Foresees Galaxy AI Revolutionizing Foldables and Tablets

Samsung is placing its initial bet on generative AI with the Galaxy S24 series, leveraging the technology that has created a buzz in the tech world since the introduction of the popular ChatGPT in late 2022.

This strategic move results in the introduction of a feature suite known as Galaxy AI, offering a range of capabilities from editing moving objects in photos to real-time language translation during calls. Initially, these features are exclusive to the new Galaxy S24 family before extending to the Galaxy S23 series.

READ MORE: Samsung launched AI-packed Galaxy S24 in an attempt to regain throne from iPhone 15

The current manifestation of Galaxy AI is a collection of tools and features primarily designed for communication, productivity, and content creation. However, according to Won-Joon Choi, Executive Vice President and Head of the Research and Development Office for Samsung’s mobile experience business, this marks just the beginning. Choi, in an interview with CNET ahead of Samsung’s Unpacked event on Jan. 17, revealed that Galaxy AI is set to expand beyond bar-type smartphones like the Galaxy S24, reaching various form factors including tablets, foldables, and more.

“Galaxy S24 is just a specific bar-type smartphone,” Choi stated, emphasizing the broader scope of their vision. “But we do have a lot of different form factors, so we’re going to expand our Galaxy AI into multiple form factors, like tablets, foldables [and] a lot of others.

Galaxy AI exhibits similarities to generative AI-powered functionalities introduced by companies such as Microsoft and Google in the past year, but it is uniquely crafted for Samsung’s smartphones. With the Galaxy S24, users can expect features such as text message rewriting in different tones before sending, text and document translation within Samsung’s Note app, real-time translation of live phone calls, auto-completion of edited photo elements, and speaker identification in audio transcriptions, among various other capabilities.

Some of these functionalities may resemble tools previously introduced by Google on the Pixel 8 family and in its Messages app, and this similarity is intentional. Samsung and Google have collaborated on specific Galaxy AI features, such as Circle to Search, enabling users to launch a Google search for any object in a photo by simply circling it.

The joint efforts of Samsung and Google signal a shift, indicating that features like these are becoming standard for new smartphones. For Samsung, Galaxy AI serves as a foundational platform for future advancements.

Won-Joon Choi couldn’t provide detailed insights into upcoming Galaxy AI features for the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip foldables, Galaxy Tab tablets, or Galaxy Watch wearables. However, he emphasized that Galaxy AI features would be customized for each device rather than mirroring the offerings of the Galaxy S24.

“We want to come up with very specific… optimized experiences according to those form factors,” Choi explained. “Not just [a] copy and paste but enhancing the experience for those specific form factors.”

Although Samsung has a history with AI, establishing the Samsung Research Artificial Intelligence Center in 2017 and launching Bixby in the same year, Choi envisions Galaxy AI not as a replacement for Bixby but as a means to enhance it. He highlighted ongoing work on a new version of Bixby infused with generative AI, aiming to make it smarter and better understand users.

While AI has long played a role in tasks like photo background separation and language translation on phones, Galaxy AI exemplifies tech giants’ efforts to bring more sophisticated tools directly into users’ hands, rather than operating behind the scenes.

Aaron West, a senior analyst at Omdia, emphasized the shift, stating, “It’s not behind the scenes. It’s really obvious that your phone is actually doing something and generating something new and original.”

As generative AI continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how it will fundamentally impact the smartphone experience. Sameer Samat from Google believes we are still in the early stages, emphasizing that it will take time before AI significantly influences smartphone software and operating systems more broadly. According to Samat, “We’re still early days and all of that. But I think we’re seeing how that can come together in ways that can really help you accomplish a lot more.”