Samsung explores future of AI during annual forum

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun delivers a pre-recorded opening speech during Samsung AI Forum 2025 at the firm's education facility in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics discussed the future of artificial intelligence (AI) at its annual academic forum, where it hosted renowned scholars and technology leaders in deep learning and language processing, the company said Monday.

The two-day Samsung AI Forum 2025 runs until Tuesday. Now in its ninth year, it brings together global scholars and industry experts to share the latest insights into AI technology and explore future research directions.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun underscored the firm’s unwavering commitment to advancing its AI technologies across its diverse business areas.

“Samsung is applying AI across our operations to develop foundational technologies that make AI more intuitive and seamless,” he said in his opening remarks for the event.

“This year’s Samsung AI Forum brings together leading experts from industry and academia to discuss how AI is transforming society and industry, and to share insights in what we expect will be a meaningful exchange of ideas.”

Invited speakers for the forum included Yoshua Bengio, a computer science professor at the University of Montreal. He is best known as one of the world’s most renowned deep learning pioneers. Joseph Gonzalez, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, will also deliver a keynote speech for this year’s forum. He is an expert in large language models and agentic AI systems.

Yoshua Bengio, a professor at the University of Montreal, speaks during the Samsung AI Forum 2025 in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Under the event's main theme — Vertical AI Strategies and Vision for the Semiconductor Industry — Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions division hosted the first day of the forum at its education facility in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

Bengio raised concerns about the far-reaching risks of modern AI models amid growing fears that AI could bypass human control. He introduced a new model, called Scientist AI, as a potential safeguard against such risks.

“Unlike models built to mimic or please humans, Scientist AI focuses on providing truthful answers grounded in verified facts and data,” he said.

Amit Gupta, senior vice president at Siemens EDA, also underscored the significance of integrating AI into electronic design automation tools during his presentation. He said end-to-end systems that operate during the entire workflow will be key to unlocking the full potential of AI.

The second day of the forum will also be held online under the theme: From Generative to Agentic AI.

Agentic AI refers to AI systems capable of autonomous decision-making and task execution.

Cheun Kyung-whoon, chief technology officer at Samsung Electronics’ Device Experience division and head of Samsung Research, said generative AI has already become an essential tool in people’s daily lives and in many industries.

“As we enter the era of Agentic AI, Samsung will continue to focus on developing AI technologies that provide users with tangible benefits,” he said.

Speakers for the event’s second day include Subbarao Kambhampati, professor at Arizona State University and an expert in AI planning and decision-making. Stanford University professor Stefano Ermon will also deliver a keynote speech.