Samsung again confirms its own AI assistant set to debut on future Galaxy phones

After acquiring Viv early last month, Samsung has now once again confirmed (via Reuters) that it will be integrating that technology into its own AI assistant on future Galaxy smartphones, presumably including the company’s forthcoming Galaxy S8…

Following the recall and discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7 during the fall, Samsung is seeking to “bounce back” with the Galaxy S8, and in order to do so, the company needs a winner. With its own AI assistant, Samsung can offer a direct competitor to similar services like Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant, and Microsoft’s Cortana, hoping to set its new smartphone apart.

So far we don’t know much regarding what Samsung’s AI assistant will be capable of, or what it will be called, but we do know that it will offer third-party integration to enhance the capabilities of the assistant as Viv’s technology is known for. The Reuters report doesn’t outright confirm that Viv tech will land on the S8 specifically, but it seems to suggest that that’s the case:

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Sunday it would launch an artificial intelligence digital assistant service for its upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone, seeking to rebound from the Galaxy Note 7’s collapse and differentiate its devices.

The world’s top smartphone maker in October announced the acquisition of Viv Labs Inc, a firm run by a co-creator of Apple Inc’s Siri voice assistant program. Samsung plans to integrate the San Jose-based company’s AI platform, called Viv, into the Galaxy smartphones and expand voice-assistant services to home appliances and wearable technology devices.

Viv’s technology on its own is already very capable, as it should be considering the technology was created by the co-founders of Siri. With Samsung’s contributions and a home on the Galaxy line, this new AI assistant could be a worthy competitor. Over time, Samsung also plans further acquisitions to boost the capabilities of this new assistant.

Really, though, this report in particular doesn’t offer much news. WSJ reported last week that the next major refresh of its “S” series will feature a “slick design and an improved camera, as well as an enhanced artificial-intelligence service.”