Samsung Electronics and Kakao Enterprise Join Hands... "AI Platform-Smart Home Appliance Integration"

A Samsung Electronics model is introducing the Samsung air purifier 'Bespoke Cube Air' and Kakao Enterprise smart speakers 'Minihexa' and 'Minilink' at the Suwon Samsung Electronics Digital City Premium House. (Photo by Samsung Electronics)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] "Hey Kakao, run the ‘Dryer AI Custom’ course!"

Sitting in the living room and shouting to the smart speaker, the Samsung Electronics Grande AI dryer starts operating. When the course is finished, it kindly notifies you. Samsung Electronics' major smart home appliances can now use this feature by linking with Kakao Enterprise's artificial intelligence (AI) platform ‘Kakao i’.

Samsung Electronics and Kakao Enterprise have joined hands. On the 4th, Samsung Electronics announced that it has established a strategic partnership with Kakao Enterprise to strengthen its AI-based smart home business. Through this collaboration, appliances connected to Samsung SmartThings can be operated via the ‘Hey Kakao’ application (app) equipped with Kakao i, the ‘Kakao Home’ app, and smart speakers such as ‘Kakao Mini’, ‘Mini Hexa’, and ‘Mini Link’.

The appliances can be controlled by voice commands through smart speakers or chatbot conversations via KakaoTalk channels. Appliances can also be controlled by touching buttons on the Kakao Home app like a remote control. All electronically controllable parts can be operated. Besides operating, users can receive notifications about the washing machine’s cycle completion or error occurrence, and air purifier filter life information. Notifications such as ‘Washing is complete’ or ‘Air purifier filter life is 10% remaining’ are sent through the Kakao Home or Hey Kakao app.

The Samsung Electronics products that can be linked with the Kakao i platform include four types: washing machines, dryers, air purifiers, and robot vacuum cleaners. Samsung Electronics plans to add supported products such as air conditioners, Air Dressers, and dishwashers within the first half of this year. After registering the purchased Samsung Electronics appliances in the SmartThings app, users can connect SmartThings in the Kakao Home app’s settings - extended service management to use the service.

This collaboration is interpreted as an effort to secure a leading position in the rapidly growing smart home market. Samsung Electronics is launching home appliances that combine AI and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, controlling and managing products linked with the SmartThings app, and providing services tailored to consumers’ usage patterns. Samsung Electronics also explained that it is continuously discovering partners to expand the SmartThings ecosystem. At this year’s CES, Samsung Electronics unveiled the AI-based customized service ‘SmartThings Cooking’.

Park Chan-woo, Executive Director of Samsung Electronics’ Home Appliance Business Division, said, "Through cooperation with Kakao, consumers of Samsung Electronics’ home appliances will experience a more convenient smart home." Ham Seung-wan, Executive Director of Kakao Enterprise, also said, "We will continue to cooperate with Samsung Electronics so that more customers can experience innovation in their daily lives."