Samsung CEO talks the future of AI: where AI meets people

Samsung officially confirmed that the next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on July 22 in London and it even hinted at the new foldable form factor – the wide Galaxy Z Fold8. But the event won’t focus only on foldables – Samsung Electronics CEO and President TM Roh penned an editorial titled “AI Doesn’t Need To Outthink You. It Needs To Understand You,” to offer some insight into the company’s strategy for the future.

The editorial emphasizes that a smart AI alone isn’t enough – it needs to be part of an ecosystem of devices like the network of SmartThings that Samsung has built. The CEO gives an example: “sleep tracked by your watch shapes tomorrow’s schedule.”

AI isn’t purely about information and knowledge anymore either – it’s entering the agentic era, where the AI will be able to take actions on the user’s behalf. But it has to be the user that makes the final decision. “People need to know what AI is doing for them and remain in control,” writes Roh.

Roh also stresses the responsibility that Samsung has to protect your data – Knox secures not only the data on your device, but also the data that moves between your devices. That said, the most personal data will stay on the device.

Phones are a core part of the future of AI interactions – they are the devices closest to us. Roh even nods towards foldables, saying that they give you a larger stage to work on.

It’s not just the phones, though. Smartwatches tap into key health metrics throughout your day. Even smart home devices like your TV, fridge and so on can contribute valuable insights into your daily life. New form factors like smart glasses are on the way and they will open up new ways of interacting with AI.

“The question that opens the next era is not who has the smartest AI, but who understands people best, and turns that understanding into experiences they can trust,” writes Roh.

You can read the full editorial here