Samsung Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee: "If New Technologies Are Flexibly Integrated, There Is a Winning Chance in the Robot Business"

Press Conference with Reporters in Las Vegas
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Han Jong-hee, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, stated on the 7th (local time) at a press conference held at Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, USA, that the company is "making significant efforts" regarding its robot business. He added, "Although we are still in the early stages compared to competitors like Tesla, if we flexibly integrate newly developed technologies, we have a good chance of success."

At the domestic press conference held at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, USA, on the 7th local time, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee is seen answering reporters' questions. Photo by Samsung Electronics

Vice Chairman Han expressed confidence, saying, "When robots meet artificial intelligence (AI), a new innovation will occur." He explained, "Samsung Electronics may not be considered very fast in the robotics field, but we are also investing and striving to secure technological capabilities," adding, "We are proceeding steadily according to plan."

He also referred to Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA's keynote speech at 'CES 2025' the previous day, predicting, "The humanoid plan seems to be accelerating," and said, "We are also moving forward with humanoids."

Earlier, CEO Huang announced in his keynote speech that "the 'ChatGPT moment' (inflection point) for robots is coming" and revealed plans to launch 'Cosmos,' an AI development platform for robots and autonomous driving. In line with these trends among global big tech companies and the robotics market, Samsung Electronics recently secured a majority stake in Rainbow Robotics and established the Future Robot Promotion Team directly under Vice Chairman Han.

Vice Chairman Han emphasized, "Technology changes from yesterday to today and tomorrow, so the key is who selects faster," adding, "In the past, we proceeded sequentially, but now we are moving simultaneously."

Earlier, Samsung Electronics surprised the public by announcing plans to launch the AI companion robot 'Bolly' in the first half of the year at a press conference the previous day. Yong Seok-woo, President of the Visual Display Business Division, who was present at the event, said, "We expect to release it in South Korea and the United States around May to June this year," adding, "The price is currently under review."

Regarding Chinese companies like TCL releasing AI robots similar to Bolly, Vice Chairman Han said, "We believe the direction we are taking is correct, so competitors have introduced similar products," and added, "To differentiate, we are focusing on what we can show and inform consumers." He further stated, "Bolly's 2nd and 3rd generations will evolve and advance rapidly, which is how we stay ahead."

At a domestic press conference held at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, USA, on the 7th local time, Yong Seok-woo, President of Samsung Electronics Visual Display Business Division, is seen answering reporters' questions. Photo by Samsung Electronics

Vice Chairman Han also explained, "We are continuously investing in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and future growth engines, and we are seeking and completing M&A deals." Regarding M&A, he said, "In the past, it was about buying and selling, but now some technologies involve national intervention, making it difficult, but it is still the path we must take." He added, "Especially in AI, robotics, meditech, and air conditioning sectors, we are consistently attempting M&A and reviewing many areas."

Last year, Samsung Electronics acquired Oxford Semantic Technologies, which possesses 'knowledge graph' technology, and Sonio, an ultrasound AI medical device startup, and invested in Element Biosciences, a U.S. DNA analysis equipment company.

Addressing criticism about the absence of messages from Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong amid recent crises, Vice Chairman Han referred to Lee's previous remarks such as "Let's create the future with technologies that do not exist in the world" and "Technology is the first, second, and third priority," stating, "Although he does not speak point by point like former Chairman Lee Kun-hee, we take his (technology-related) words seriously, and they are reflected in our products."

He continued, "What companies desire most is to create irreplaceable products," and said, "Chairman Lee has raised the issue of technologies that do not exist in the world, and I think those products will start to appear from the second half of this year and into next year."

Regarding the preliminary Q4 earnings announced that day, he said, "It is true that the results were lower than market expectations, but it became an opportunity to take a step forward," adding, "In the Device Solutions (DS) division, Vice Chairman Jeon Young-hyun is working hard to make improvements, and I think this year will be promising."

Vice Chairman Han spoke about the recently launched subscription business, saying, "There are products starting this month, so you can look forward to it," and added, "(In the future) subscriptions will be available for phones and Bolly as well."

Regarding concerns about tariffs ahead of the second Trump administration, he responded, "We have quite a few factories, so we plan to respond through them," and said, "Since the global supply chain is well established, if we integrate AI technology and innovate quickly, I think there will be no major difficulties."