Samsung to Acquire Artificial Intelligence Platform Firm Founded by Siri Creators

Samsung agreed to buy artificial intelligence platform company Viv Labs, founded by Siri co-creator Dag Kittlaus, it said in a Thursday announcement. The open AI platform will enable third-party developers to build “conversational assistants” and integrate a natural language-based interface into apps and services, Samsung said. The deal is part of Samsung’s vision to deliver an AI-based open ecosystem across all of its devices and services, it said, in what is becoming a crowded space inhabited by Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft. Viv simplifies user interfaces, understands context and offers appropriate and convenient suggestions and recommendations, Samsung said. “Unlike other existing AI-based services, Viv has a sophisticated natural language understanding, machine learning capabilities and strategic partnerships that will enrich a broader service ecosystem,” said Injong Rhee, chief technology officer of Samsung’s mobile communications business. Viv’s focus on consumers and developers attracted Samsung as a platform that can integrate its home appliances, wearables and other products “as the paradigm of how we interact with technology shifts to intelligent interfaces and voice control,” Rhee said. Kittlaus said in a presentation at Tech Crunch Disrupt in May that virtually every major technology company is investing “billions of dollars” in the intelligent assistant space. He said essential aspects to take intelligent assistants to the next level are having one assistant vs. myriad apps, an assistant that’s personalized to the individual and the ability to transfer the experience to multiple devices. Viv’s third-party ecosystem can do “tens of thousands of things,” he said.