Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
'Let AI do the guesswork': LG presents human-centric experience at CES 2025
Journalists and media representatives wait to enter LG Electronics' booth at the CES 2025 consumer electronics trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Monday (local time). Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
LG, Microsoft go into strategic partnership for AI
LAS VEGAS – LG Electronics styled its exhibition at the CES 2025 consumer electronics trade show with a human-centric approach to artificial intelligence (AI), stressing “a holistic experience” that seamlessly connects products and services in various everyday settings.
“The affectionate intelligence is now evolving into a technology that seamlessly connects various physical spaces and virtual environments, delivering a holistic experience,” LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan said during the firm's World Premiere event at Mandalay Bay. Affectionate intelligence is LG’s marketing term, referring to more human-centric AI products and services.
Cho stated that a holistic AI experience can be materialized with connected devices, capable AI agents and integrated services.
He noted that there are already hundreds of millions of LG smart electronic appliances around the world, and they will be connected through the technologies of Athom, an Internet of Things (IoT) platform firm that LG acquired last year. Also, the company has LG Furon AI agent, which can understand customer situations and contexts in real time to coordinate devices and services.
LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan delivers his speech during the company's World Premiere event for CES 2025 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Monday (local time). Yonhap
Cho announced that LG has agreed to build a strategic partnership with Microsoft to provide compelling integrated services, so that they can collaborate in upgrading Furon’s capabilities to provide comprehensive AI services covering not only the home but also commercial domains, as well as providing assistance in Microsoft’s data center businesses.
“At Microsoft, we believe AI will fundamentally change the way we live and work, and we could not be more excited to partner with LG Electronics to integrate AI into life’s everyday experiences,” Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft, said in a video message.
Following the partnership, the two companies will work on enhancing AI agents for various spaces, including homes, vehicles, hotels and offices.
Throughout last year, LG has been making efforts to consolidate its partnership with Microsoft for AI. LG has been applying Microsoft’s voice recognition and speech synthesis technologies to its AI home hub robot, the Q9, enabling it to understand diverse accents, pronunciations and colloquial expressions. With the latest partnership, the two companies will develop an AI agent that not only understands and interacts with customers but also predicts their needs and preferences.
Regarding Microsoft’s data center business, the two companies will join efforts to develop thermal management solutions by leveraging LG’s prowess in cooling technology.
Visitors walk past LG Electronics' media art comprised of LG SIGNATURE OLED T transparent TVs at the company's booth for CES 2025 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Monday (local time). Yonhap
During the premiere, LG portrayed scenes of AI-assisted life where the company’s home hub and AI-powered appliances do the guesswork on behalf of users and exhibited appliances to materialize such a vision at its booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
At its 2,044 square-meter booth, LG described various scenarios of its AI home hub ThinQ assisting users’ daily lives, supported by the company’s latest home appliances, including the latest SIGNATURE OLED T TVs and Gram laptops.
Along with home assistance, the company presented a vision for its mobility electronic solutions.
During the premiere, the company presented a scenario of a driver forgetting to bring coffee during the morning commute, and the vehicle’s AI detecting this to recommend a nearby cafe reflecting on real-time traffic conditions, even placing the order. The system dynamically adjusts navigation routes by recognizing live traffic updates, and in case of delays, it allows video meetings to be conducted from within the car. Additionally, the AI can track the driver’s gaze direction and play previously recorded videos on request.
Rapper will.i.am, founder of AI-based creative tool company FYI.AI, presents LG Electronics' XBOOM speaker during the company's World Premiere event for CES 2025 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Monday (local time). Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
Stealing the show at the premiere was famous rapper will.i.am, founder of AI-based creative tool firm FYI.AI. He appeared at the premiere event to announce the collaboration between his company and LG’s XBOOM speaker series.
“Our ultimate goal is simple yet profound: to leverage AI as a means to create a holistic customer value,” Cho said. “No matter how AI reshapes our lives, one thing will never change: LG’s commitment to deliver differentiated customer experiences.”