The stick vac and the refrigerator may sound like an awkward remake of Beauty and The Beast, but they’re the places AI is going next.
AI may well be a bit of a buzzword these days, but if there’s a reason to use it, you can be sure companies are going to find it.
While AI can make music and create text from seemingly just a thought, and generate code and images and wallpaper for your next phone, appliance makers are turning to machine learning to make their devices better than ever, as well.
We’ve seen it from TV companies, as AI is used to improve the video and sound, and now other gadgets in the home look set to get a dose of artificial intelligence, as well.
Samsung appears to be driving that, and looks set to bring AI to a stick vacuum and a set of fridges, alongside the company’s push into AI ovens with a camera inside.
AI in the kitchen
On the fridge side of things, Samsung’s AI will go into models with the “Family Hub” hardware, a screen that you can use to control other smart devices, as well as an AI smart assistant built into the fridge. While you won’t find Google or Siri here, or even Amazon’s Alexa, Samsung’s Bixby is along for the ride, and can control settings for the fridge.
The AI in Samsung’s 615 litre “AI Home Side by Side” fridge seems a little limited, but the massive 809 litre “AI Family Hub French Door” model has more going for, and not just its massive size. A bigger fridge, it will come with a huge screen taking up much of the top right door, one of four doors on the fridge.
Like its predecessor, there’s a camera inside that can monitor food and identify up to 33 items stored in and taken out, not just providing expiration dates, but also offering a bit of a guide as to what’s in your fridge when you’re not there. Log on remotely while you’re at the shops, and you’ll see potentially what you don’t need to buy.
It’s possible the AI will improve in time and be more than being a bit of an assistant, but a greater help in the kitchen
However, both models will get a degree of security via Samsung Knox, a feature that’s interesting, though we’re not sure how much security a fridge really needs.
And it can be used to control other smart devices, such as a Ring Doorbell or something else with Amazon Alexa support.
AI even in a vacuum
Samsung’s AI additions to the world of vacuums will arrive in an assortment of “AI Jet” models, running across “complete”, “premium” and “ultra” models, and using AI to understand the floors being vacuumed.
As part of “AI Cleaning Mode 2.0”, WiFi will help the AI identify whether you’re vacuuming short- or long-pile carpet, a mat, or even hard floor, using these variables to change the suction and brush speed.
It’s certainly a degree of AI, that’s for sure, and joins a 148,000 RPM motor with up to 400 watts of suction, giving Samsung something to compete against Dyson’s stick vacs.
“Samsung has been reimagining the role of smart devices for ten years with the goal of making everyday life easier for consumers,” said Phil Gaut, Director for Consumer Electronics at Samsung Australia.
“Our motivation is to let your smart devices think about what’s for dinner or how to best clean your floors simply so you don’t have to,” he said.
Could AI be used in a home setting?
While the AI here may not really break a lot of new ground immediately, it could make all the difference to some homes.
Taking a peek as to what’s in your fridge is a handy feature and less AI, but potentially using what little AI is on the appliances to cut back on time is one of the main reasons to consider using an AI feature in the first place. As it is, AI tends to work best when it’s used alongside hard work, and the same may be true here.
If your fridge can eventually identify what’s inside and offer you recommendations to make better use and cut back on food wastage, it’s a step in the right direction for AI in the home.
With research from Samsung painting a picture that 67 percent of Aussies being AI-assisted devices could help reduce the daily mental load and get time in there to relax, it makes some sense that people would certainly try, especially when these chores pop up in our minds repeatedly throughout the course of a day.
At the moment, AI in the home is in a bit of an infancy. Your fridge is a potential starting point, as is getting your vacuum to work out the best settings to clean with, something robotic vacuums are already doing, as well.
Pricing for the Samsung AI fridges starts at $3299 in Australia, while the Bespoke Jet AI vacuums start from $1399 locally. There are, of course, plenty of other home appliances from Samsung sans-AI, but over time, that could change, too.
