At the world's largest consumer electronics show, CES 2026 in Las Vegas, where artificial intelligence dominated conversations, Samsung Electronics took center stage. The tech giant unveiled its ambitious 'Companion to AI living' vision during its preview event, The First Look, signaling a major shift towards more integrated and intelligent ecosystems.
Samsung's Unified AI Vision for Everyday Life
Outlining the company's strategic direction, T M Roh, CEO and head of Samsung's device eXperience division, emphasized a move towards a cohesive user experience. "Samsung is building a more unified, more personal experience across mobile, visual display, home appliances and services," Roh stated. He highlighted advancements in the company's voice assistant, which is now more intelligent and offers context-aware systems that work seamlessly across all Samsung devices.
A cornerstone of this vision is user trust. Roh stressed that for AI to become a true companion, trust and privacy are essential. He asserted that Samsung's security platforms set the industry standard and are embedded at the core of all new experiences.
Transforming Screens and Homes with AI
On the visual display front, executives S W Yong, president and head of the visual display business, and Sukhmani Mohta, chief marketing and partnerships officer for Samsung Electronics America, announced a significant development. They revealed that Samsung has built a full AI TV lineup designed to introduce novel ways for users to interact with their screens, moving beyond traditional remote controls.
The transformation extends to home appliances. Cheolgi Kim, executive VP and head of the digital appliances division, along with Elizabeth Anderson, head of integrated marketing in America, outlined a paradigm shift. Samsung is evolving from merely providing home appliances to developing true home companions aimed at reducing the stress of daily chores.
The Backbone: A Massive Connected Ecosystem
A key enabler of this unified AI vision is Samsung's SmartThings platform. Cheolgi Kim announced a significant milestone: as of December 2025, SmartThings serves more than 430 million users globally. This vast, interconnected network forms the foundation upon which Samsung's context-aware, cross-device AI experiences are being built, allowing different devices and services to communicate and work together intelligently.
The announcements at CES 2026 position Samsung not just as a hardware manufacturer, but as a curator of a comprehensive, AI-powered lifestyle. By focusing on unification, personalization, and robust security, the company aims to make artificial intelligence an indispensable and trusted companion in every aspect of daily living, from entertainment to household management.
