Samsung has unveiled a suite of new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in its just-announced Galaxy S24 smartphone range, thanks to a new collaboration with Google Cloud. The Korean tech giant is the first Google partner to deploy the search giant’s latest AI models on a consumer device.
Unveiled at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in San Jose, California earlier this month, the new S24 range will put two of Google’s hottest new AI tools into users’ pockets. This includes Gemini Pro, Google’s versatile text-and-image model, and Imagen 2, a state-of-the-art text-to-image generator from DeepMind.
“Google and Samsung have long shared deeply held values around the importance of making technology more helpful and accessible for everyone,” said Janghyun Yoon, head of software at Samsung’s mobile division. “After months of testing, the Google Cloud and Samsung teams worked together to deliver the best Gemini-powered AI experience on Galaxy.”
Specifically, Gemini Pro will initially power AI-assisted features in Samsung’s own apps, including intelligent summarisation in Notes, Voice Recorder and Keyboard. Meanwhile Imagen 2 lays the foundations for clever photo manipulation capabilities in the S24’s Gallery app.
Samsung promises its Imagen 2 integration, dubbed Generative Edit, will put “safe and intuitive photo-editing capabilities into users’ hands.” However, edited images will be capped at 12MP resolution and visibly watermarked to make it clear they have been AI-altered.
Bringing advanced neural networks like Gemini and Imagen into the mass consumer tech space underscores both companies’ ambitions around democratising AI. However, concerns remain around how responsibly and safely consumer tech giants deploy increasingly powerful generative models. Alongside functionality perks, Samsung also talks up Google Cloud’s capabilities around security, safety and privacy.
The Galaxy S24 range, set to hit shops on 17 February, may be the first indication of whether ordinary consumers have an appetite for smartphone-based creative AI features – albeit with safety rails firmly in place. If Samsung’s gamble pays off, it likely won’t be the last partnership bringing advanced neural networks off the cloud and into the wild.
