Samsung and LG Unveil AI-Powered Kitchens
At the KBIS 2026 trade show, both Samsung and LG Electronics unveiled new AI-driven kitchen appliances. Samsung's "Bespoke AI" platform aims to manage the entire kitchen, from recipe suggestions to energy optimization. LG presented its expanded LG SIGNATURE and Signature Kitchen Suite lineups, focusing on the luxury and B2B builder markets with its ThinQ Pro platform.
- The global AI home appliance market was valued at over $10.7 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach approximately $60 billion by 2033. This growth is largely driven by increasing consumer demand for smart home integration and the convenience offered by AI-powered devices. - Samsung's Bespoke AI Refrigerator features "AI Vision Inside" technology, which uses an internal camera to identify dozens of fresh and packaged food items, track inventory, and suggest recipes based on available ingredients. - LG's ThinQ Pro platform is a B2B solution created for builders and property managers that allows for centralized management of appliances across multiple residential units. The system can monitor appliance status, track assets, provide predictive maintenance alerts, and even detect risks like water leaks, sending alerts to management. - Both South Korean companies are increasingly focusing on high-value, AI-equipped appliances as a strategic response to growing price competition from Chinese manufacturers in the global appliance market. - New products in LG's luxury Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS) line include a 36-inch Full-Flex Induction Cooktop with an "AI Water Boiling Alert" that notifies the user and automatically reduces heat to prevent boiling over. - Samsung's new Bespoke Slide-in Induction Range features an anti-scratch matte glass cooktop and an internal smart camera that allows users to monitor cooking progress on their phones and create time-lapse videos to share on social media. - The two companies are pursuing slightly different ecosystem strategies; Samsung is focused on a consumer-centric "Intelligent Living Platform" managed by its SmartThings app, while LG is making a dedicated push into the B2B builder market with ThinQ Pro.
