TLDR: Samsung’s Bengaluru R&D division is spearheading the global initiative to integrate voice-first artificial intelligence into its next-generation Galaxy AI ecosystem. This strategic move aims to transition from the current smartphone era to an “AI Phone” era, where voice interfaces become the primary mode of interaction. Mohan Rao, Corporate Vice-President and MD of Samsung R&D Institute India – Bengaluru (SRI-B), emphasized India’s pivotal role in this development, highlighting the focus on personalization and democratizing AI across a wider range of Galaxy devices.
Samsung is placing a significant bet on its India-based Research and Development (R&D) division in Bengaluru to spearhead a global shift towards voice-first artificial intelligence (AI) for its upcoming Galaxy AI ecosystem. This strategic move underscores the company’s ambition to redefine user interaction with mobile technology, moving beyond traditional smartphones to a new era of “AI Phones.”
Mohan Rao, Corporate Vice-President and Managing Director of Samsung R&D Institute India – Bengaluru (SRI-B), highlighted India’s critical contribution, stating that it is “one of the key sites outside Korea driving the company’s AI work.” He further emphasized that engineers in India are leading the efforts to build a voice-first mobile interface specifically designed for AI.
“When it is going to be completely voice-first, it depends on the research, research breakthroughs. A lot of research is going on at the moment,” Rao noted, acknowledging the “tough challenges” involved in making AI models run efficiently on devices and the need for “AI native platforms” for seamless natural language Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). The industry broadly anticipates voice becoming the primary mode of interaction with AI, with tech giants like Google and OpenAI also prioritizing voice interfaces. For Samsung, embedding voice-first AI directly into its consumer hardware could provide a crucial differentiator in a competitive market.
Samsung’s smartphone R&D is pursuing two distinct approaches: firstly, focusing on personalization to tailor AI to individual user needs and enhance productivity, as Rao explained, “if AI can assist my personal needs, my productivity should improve.” Secondly, the company aims to transition from conventional smartphones to “AI Phones” that require a new foundational platform, with the existing Galaxy AI platform serving as its base.
The company is committed to making Galaxy AI’s advanced capabilities accessible across a broad spectrum of its devices, including flagship smartphones, notebooks, and other gadgets. The Galaxy AI platform, initially launched with the Galaxy S24 series, has received positive consumer feedback, prompting Samsung to further enhance these features for an improved user experience.
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Future Galaxy devices, such as the anticipated Galaxy S25, are envisioned as “AI companions” capable of handling complex requests, learning user routines, anticipating needs, and performing advanced tasks like removing unwanted sounds from videos or identifying songs. These AI features are designed for seamless toggling between applications to fetch, summarize, and manage content, and may even create customized digital profiles of user behavior. Samsung emphasizes user privacy by primarily processing AI knowledge directly on Galaxy devices, within what the company refers to as a “personal data engine” or “digital fortress.”
