On Monday, Samsung released a video highlighting the anticipated artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities of its virtual assistant, Bixby. Although the company refrained from explicitly naming Bixby, the video depicted a woman interacting with her device in a manner characteristic of the assistant. Last year, the AI-enhanced version of Bixby was introduced in China alongside the Galaxy W25 series. It is now expected to make its global debut with the Galaxy S25 series, scheduled to be unveiled at the Galaxy Unpacked event on January 22.
Samsung Teases AI-Powered Bixby Assistant
The short, 17-second video uploaded to YouTube provides a preview of the advanced features users can look forward to in the forthcoming iteration of Bixby. Titled “A true AI companion is coming,” the clip shows a woman instructing her device in a conversational manner, asking it to “Find a cat-friendly Italian restaurant with outdoor seating.” She further directs the device to share the information with a friend and add the details to her calendar.
Notably, Samsung did not mention Bixby by name nor explicitly detail the AI features anticipated to be included. Nonetheless, several capabilities were evident from the video. The AI-enhanced version of Bixby seems set to comprehend natural language commands and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
The assistant appears to have improved integration with third-party applications, showcased by its ability to facilitate restaurant reservations and sync them with the Calendar app. Additionally, it may possess agentic functionalities, potentially allowing it to execute bookings. However, these features remain speculative and are only suggested within the video.
Samsung has previously indicated that the Chinese version of the AI-infused Bixby boasts heightened contextual understanding of user commands. It can provide responses via text and videos harvested from the web to deliver relevant information. Furthermore, the assistant is capable of translating web pages and saving outputs in various Microsoft Office formats, including Word and PowerPoint.
In terms of design, the AI-powered Bixby in China has undergone a significant interface redesign. Users can access the virtual assistant in full-screen mode, featuring a text input area at the bottom and a minimalist layout on a white background. Additionally, the traditional pop-up window can be activated over most screens and applications.
