Even since its launch, Bixby has been lagging behind rival voice assistants Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) have recently seen a meteoric rise, and it has helped improve AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot. However, Apple and Samsung haven't implemented them into their voice assistants yet. Apple is expected to bring ChatGPT-like functionality to Siri with iOS 18 later this year.
A few days ago, a Samsung executive revealed that Bixby will soon get a significant upgrade, thanks to Generative AI. The South Korean firm has now revealed exactly how it plans to improve Bixby.
Bixby will be able to understand complex commands, thanks to Generative AI and LLMs
Earlier today, the company launched its new AI-powered BESPOKE home appliances lineup. During the launch, Samsung revealed it is also bringing AI improvements to Bixby. Generative AI will soon allow Bixby to go one step further and it will be able to comprehend complex sentences and voice commands. Samsung also revealed that Bixby can engage in natural conversations with users and continue previous conversations.
For example, users can ask Bixby to “turn on the AC to Wind Free mode, and let me know how the weather is.” The AI-powered voice assistant will then turn on the AC, change its mode to Wind Free mode, and then fetch the current weather conditions for the user's location. If the user asks Bixby to “turn off the air purifier,” and then, after some time, says “Oh, and the TV, too,” Bixby will understand that the user wants the TV to be turned off as well.
Moreover, Bixby can understand more context about a user's problems and deliver solutions. For example, if a user says “The living room feels humid,” Bixby will make necessary changes to the humidifier. If the user asks Bixby “What should I do with all the potatoes I bought yesterday?” Bixby will understand the context and come up with recipe options in which potatoes can be used.
Samsung hasn't revealed when Bixby will receive these updates. We might see an update to Bixby in the second half of this year, during the second Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event in July 2024. Samsung may use its own Samsung Gauss LLM and Google Gemini to power the upcoming version of Bixby, similar to how it has been using both for Galaxy AI features on the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S24, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Tab S9.
