LG Electronics (LG) president and CTO Dr. I.P. Park outlined the company’s vision for the future in his CES 2019 keynote, titled AI for an Even Better Life, on January 7 at the MGM Park Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Dr Park outlined how the three key pillars of artificial intelligence – Evolve, Connect and Open – could deliver a robust AI ecosystem with diverse solutions for the real world.
A leading proponent of consumer-focused AI technology, LG has continued to take a leadership role in advocating the beneficial role of AI in consumers’ lives. The keynote featured LG’s AI technologies implemented in daily-life scenarios to give the audience of more than 3,000 industry figures, influencers and journalists a better understanding of how the company is working on transforming tomorrow. The LG CLOi GuideBot shared the spotlight with Dr. Park during the address, becoming the first ever robot to help deliver a CES keynote in the process.
“Is technology making your life better?” Dr. Park began his keynote by asking the audience. “Over the past 100 years, household appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and vacuum cleaners have reduced time spent on housework by around 75%, but the amount of cognitive labour involved has significantly increased.” Dr. Park explained: “The answer lies in AI – but only if we can achieve true intelligence.”
Since its launch in 2017, the company’s AI brand LG ThinQ has seen its portfolio grow rapidly to include air conditioners, washing machines, TVs, smartphones and robot vacuum cleaners. Dr. Park presented LG’s latest innovations in these appliances which leveraged the power of AI: the world’s most advanced AI chip for home appliances, a washing machine with reinforced learning, and “self-healing” machines that can detect and fix malfunctions automatically without interrupting operation.
“But I want to talk about more than just improvements,” Dr. Park continued. “Our ambition is to go way beyond LG’s current role as a leading manufacturer of consumer electronics and to become a lifestyle innovator that serves a truly intelligent way of living.”
Proclaiming LG’s vision for the age of artificial intelligence, Dr. Park explained how the three key ideas – Evolve, Connect and Open – will empower AI technology to transform every aspect of daily life. LG ThinQ products will evolve over time by learning about the user, connect seamlessly with customers’ lives and open up an eco-system of innovation made stronger by partnerships and cooperation, ultimately offering “a new and daring definition of better life.”
Dr. Park highlighted the importance of evolving intelligence in consumer electronics. For AI devices to go beyond simple voice recognition and automated task execution, they must be able to understand the purpose and intention behind each command. Such contextual understanding requires AI to evolve through accumulating interaction with the user.
CTA chief executive and president Gary Shapiro commented: “LG is a global powerhouse at the forefront of the AI revolution, which will impact nearly every major industry from technology to healthcare, agriculture, transportation, engineering and beyond. We were thrilled to have LG talk about ‘AI for an Even Better Life’ as its first keynote in CES history.”
