LG Electronics has partnered with Microsoft, will.i.am to enhance AI in homes, cars, audio devices in a move that will combine LG’s products and customer insights from various spaces, such as the home, mobility and commercial areas, with Microsoft’s AI technology to implement empathetic AI integrated services.
Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft, shared, “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 – the pioneers of smart, connected spaces – to integrate AI into life’s everyday experiences.”
The two companies are working on enhancing AI agents for various spaces, including homes, vehicles, hotels and offices. LG has been applying Microsoft’s voice recognition and speech synthesis technologies to its Self-Driving AI Home Hub, enabling it to understand diverse accents, pronunciations and colloquial expressions. Plans also include developing AI agents that not only understand and interact with customers but also predict their needs and preferences.
Microsoft will also work with LG in the rapidly growing field of AI data centers. With LG’s thermal management systems and advanced chiller technologies optimized for AI data centers, the partnership aims to enhance energy efficiency in these critical backbones of AI infrastructure. Together, the companies plan to create next-generation data centers that are more efficient and sustainable.
Bringing AI Vision to Life
The LG World Premiere kicked off with a video titled “Less Artificial, More Human,” followed by a keynote speech delivered by LG CEO William Cho.
“At LG, we’re seamlessly integrating AI into physical living spaces around us. We see space not merely as a physical location but as an environment where holistic experiences come to life – across the Home, Mobility, Commercial and even Virtual spaces,” said CEO Cho. “In these spaces, devices and services will harmonize to create entirely new customer value. This is where our Affectionate Intelligence truly shines, clearly standing out from the others.”
Cho then highlighted three fundamental elements to realize this vision: connected devices, capable AI agents and integrated services.
Connected devices, which serve as the customer touchpoint for AI, are one of LG’s greatest assets. Not only are there hundreds of millions of LG smart products already in use worldwide, but with last year’s acquisition of smart home solutions provider Athom, LG now offers seamless connectivity with IoT devices from over 170 global brands.
As for AI agents, LG is set to advance its AI agent, LG FURON, which combines the power of generative AI built on large language models with real-time spatial sensing and insights into customer lifestyle patterns. This innovative AI agent can understand customer situations and contexts in real-time, effortlessly coordinating devices and services to provide a more tailored and responsive user experience, all while protecting personal data.
LG’s AI agent, FURON, highlights its personalized capabilities like adjusting room temperature for your comfort or working as a personal assistant on plans for the day. LG’s AI-powered in-cabin sensing solution detects when the driver forgets their coffee tumbler, it also monitors biometric signals, responds to an elevated heart rate before an afternoon meeting by playing soothing music to help the driver relax. The system also proactively suggests rerouting to avoid accidents and recommends holding a video conference inside the vehicle if traffic delays risk causing the driver to miss an important meeting. Upon arriving at the office, the AI adds a personal touch, such as displaying previously recorded family vacation footage on the car’s internal and external cameras.
At home, the living room TV equipped with AI technology enhances the home entertainment experience. It analyzes the viewing environment, patterns and history to recommend tailored content. If the customer mentions difficulty hearing dialogue in a video, the AI adjusts the audio, enhancing voice clarity by isolating it from background noise and making it sound as though it’s coming naturally from the center of the TV screen.
Seamless and Holistic Customer Experiences Anytime, Anywhere, Seen or Unseen
Concluding his keynote address, CEO Cho emphasized AI’s role in driving transformative change across both B2C (business-to-consumer) and B2B (business-to-business) sectors.
The LG Smart Cottage, a compact modular home that integrates AI-powered appliances, HVAC systems and other advanced technologies redefines residential living. LG envisions the automobile as a “personalized digital cave,” featuring software-defined vehicle solutions and AI technologies that understand and adapt to both the internal and external vehicle environment, delivering groundbreaking mobility experiences.
In smart factory solutions, LG offers next-generation manufacturing systems powered by AI and robotics. Additionally, LG’s AI-based thermal management systems and advanced chiller technologies are optimizing energy efficiency in AI data centers worldwide.
“Our ultimate goal is simple yet profound: to leverage AI as a means to create holistic customer value, in which ever space you are you are,” said CEO Cho. “Irrespective of how AI transforms our lives, one thing will never change: our promise of Life’s Good. With this unwavering commitment, we will continue to strive for industry-leading experiences for our customers – seen or unseen – to everyone, everywhere, every time.”
LG also appointed will.i.am as the “Experiential Architect” of the LG xboom brand, aiming to establish it as a culture-forward brand that elevates the listening experience to new heights through completely new sound and design values. All “xboom by will.i.am” audio products are professionally tuned by will.i.am, delivering the xboom signature sound – characterized by a more balanced audio profile with warmer tones. The product design is playfully compact and embodies will.i.am’s creative artistry that stems from his life-long experience in pop culture. Leveraging both his extensive experience in understanding what people love and developing technology for creatives, will.i.am fundamentally inspires xboom’s product development, design and brand marketing.
The “xboom by will.i.am” line boasts a family of smart Bluetooth speakers – the xboom Bounce, Grab and Stage 301 – all fortified with seamless AI capabilities for a next-level listening experience. The xboom speakers conduct AI analysis on the content being played to automatically adjust AI Sound, switching to sound options that accentuate the melody, rhythm, or voice. The AI Lighting feature keeps the speakers’ bar lights pulsing in multicolored sync for added ambiance. AI Calibration allows speakers to instantly recognize their surroundings to fill various indoor or outdoor spaces with ample sound. And for the first time, xboom speakers now feature a dedicated button for users to instantly connect to will.i.am’s RAiDiO.FYI platform to enjoy various infotainment content tailored for each listener by an AI Radio Host.
