etnews, 14 Jul 2025
The integration of sophisticated voice assistants into smart TVs has been a long-standing objective for consumer electronics giants. We’ve seen iterations from LG’s ThinQ to Samsung’s Bixby, with varying degrees of success and user adoption. Early attempts often faced criticism for clunky interfaces and limited functionality, sparking debate over whether these features were genuine advancements or mere marketing gimmicks.
Now, Samsung is pushing the envelope again with a significant upgrade to its Bixby voice assistant for its 2025 line of AI-powered TVs. The original article states that Samsung is rolling out an update featuring an enhanced, natural language processing (NLP)-driven Bixby for the ‘Click to Search’ functionality. [Original Article] This move aims to create a more intuitive and conversational experience, allowing users to interact with their TVs using everyday language. According to the source, users will be able to obtain information simply by speaking to their TVs, much like engaging in a conversation.
For example, while watching a historical drama, a viewer could ask Bixby about the historical accuracy of the depicted events, or request information about a specific actor. This marks a significant step beyond basic voice commands and demonstrates Samsung’s commitment to developing a more seamless and intelligent user interface. In the competitive Korean market, where companies like LG are also aggressively pursuing advancements in AI-powered TVs, this update gives Samsung a potential edge. This evolution also reflects the broader trend in Korea towards integrating AI into everyday devices, from smartphones and refrigerators to now, televisions.
The Korean government’s active promotion of AI research and development, coupled with the widespread adoption of high-speed internet, creates a fertile ground for these advancements. Technical details in the article are limited, but the emphasis on natural language processing suggests improvements in Bixby’s ability to understand context, nuances, and complex queries. This likely involves advancements in NLP models, potentially leveraging transformer networks similar to those used in services like Naver’s Clova and Kakao’s Kakao i. The regulatory landscape in Korea, particularly concerning data privacy and security, will be a crucial factor in how these technologies are implemented and adopted. For more details, see the As the competition heats up, it remains to be seen how effective Samsung’s upgraded Bixby will be in capturing market share and ultimately, changing how consumers interact with their TVs. Will this conversational interface become the new norm, or will it face similar adoption challenges as previous generations of smart TV features?