LG Unveils AI Development Road Map And Officially Confirms Rollable TV Launch At CES 2020

AI isn’t new, but it hasn’t progressed quite as quickly as we’ve expected. Part of that could be due to a lack of clear direction however, and LG has announced their AI Development Road Map for ThinQ at CES 2020, showing their commitment to their AI service and to their vision of a future where “anywhere is home”.

The AI experience (AIX) roadmap consists of four levels, each with qualitative jumps in AI capabilities. The first is called “Efficiency”, and it’s the level that most voice assistants are at right now. The level of AI technology here allows products and appliances to automate. An example provided was LG’s air-conditioners using sensors to detect how many people are in the room, then adjusts the airflow and temperature based on that information.

Personalisation is the second level, with the AI being able to accumulate data and build memories to remember patterns and use them for future interactions. This allows for the AI to recognise different users through voice, behaviour or facial features and then personalise service or experience based on the person’s individual preferences.

The third level is Reasoning. The AI might be able to see that a user is tired, but not be able to understand why. This is where LG’s diverse portfolio comes in, with more possible touchpoints such as the air purifier, air-conditioner and smart speakers around a user.

Data can be shared between devices to have an insight as to the “why”. It’s less about an individual device and more about interconnected devices and the system. Unfortunately, LG is just starting research on this level and it can be a few years before it comes to market.

The fourth level is Exploration, where AI is able to design and improve continuously thanks to experimental learning. The technology allows AI to form a hypothesis around a specific goal and test to learn new inferences. New data sources beyond the original dataset can also be drawn upon, and the AI will proactively seek new information and implement it into the dataset’s parameters.

Some examples shown during the keynote depicted the AI being able to recommend clothing options for a date, editing a speech and even calling the executive’s boss for a second opinion when the executive was unsure and nervous about her work.

All this culminates in LG’s vision of a future where anywhere is home and users can carry the essence of home-ness with them everywhere.

Previously, AI took the form of simple voice commands. But now, AI is present even in customer support, by using big data and machine learning to provide personalised care, maintenance tips and alerts to potential issues.

Aside from software updates, LG has also refreshed the hardware on their home appliances. LG has taken their Direct Drive Motor to new level. The new LG ThinkQ Washer and Dryer with advanced AI has improved clothing care. The washer not only detects volume, but can also identify the type of fabric to automatically select the optimal wash cycle for best results. This reduces wear and tear of the clothes by 15%.

Soap can be automatically dispensed as well, with the amount dispensed calculated on the weight of the load. The dryer also benefits from the new AI as smart pairing will send the washer’s settings and information directly to the dryer.

LG’s popular InstaView fridge also gets an update with new cooling systems and a really cool model that makes craft ice. Alongside the regular crushed and cubed ice, the new LG Instaview fridge can also create clear ice spheres with a 2-inch diameter. Slow drip freezing tech is utilised here to reduce bubbles in the ice, and the ice tray included can hold up to 25 ice spheres for those big parties you’ll be throwing.

With the new Instaview ThinQ oven, health-conscious consumers will love the new air-fry feature added. Combining true convection cooking with air-fry tech, there’s no preheating required so meals will get done even faster.

Credit: LG

LG leads in OLED market, being the best selling brand for 7 consecutive years. With Real 8K viewing experience, the resolution is not just defined by the number of pixels. 8K TVs have over 33mil pixels, but viewers have to be able to see them, and the pixels need a Contrast Modulation of 90% to be considered Real 8K. LG’s TVs exceeds CTA’s definition and the 2020 models will carry the new CTA 8K Ultra HD logo.

All 2020 8K TVs have the new Alpha 9 Gen 3 AI processor, with upscaling for faces, text. There are 4 new television models with NanoCell technology displays. Two of those will be Real 8K. In line with LG’s push to make AI easier to use, it’s no longer necessary to use the TV remote to say commands. The TV itself will support voice commands without the use of the remote.

There’s now also the new Filmmaker mode by the UHD Alliance. This mode disables post-processing like motion blur and displays the content the way the filmmaker designed it to be viewed, with the original aspect ratio, colour and frame rates. Every new 4K and 8K TV coming out in 2020 will have this mode. LG’s new TVs also support Dolby Vision IQ, utilising light sensors and metadata to optimise HDR scenes even better.

But if you’ve been following LG’s announcements over the past few years, you’ll be wondering if there’s news about the rollable OLED television that they showcased back in 2019. Well, LG has confirmed that this television will ship later in 2020, with no price or market availability details at the moment. Rumours are swirling about that the television will cost around US$60,000, however.

For more information on the LG CES keynote, the recording can be viewed on LG’s website.