Samsung Electronics has announced a strategic move to streamline its North American AI research efforts by merging its research centres in Toronto, Canada, and Mountain View, California. This new entity, named the North America AI Centre, aims to enhance operational efficiency and focus on developing in-house artificial intelligence systems.
The newly formed division will be led by Murat Akbacak, a former Apple executive renowned for his role in shaping Siri’s strategy, particularly in personalization and contextualization. Akbacak’s expertise is expected to drive significant advancements in Samsung’s AI capabilities.
This restructuring was revealed in an internal communication earlier this week, according to Bloomberg. Samsung’s decision comes at a crucial time as Apple continues to expand its AI capabilities, highlighted during this year’s WWDC, where Apple showcased enhanced personalization and contextual understanding for Siri, as well as new features for organizing notifications across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Samsung vs Apple AI Strategies
While Apple primarily develops its AI features in-house, utilizing OpenAI technology for some chatbot functionalities, Samsung currently relies on Alphabet’s Google Gemini to support its Galaxy AI capabilities. This consolidation move indicates Samsung’s intention to bolster its AI research and development internally.
Toronto has become a significant hub for AI research, contributing to various tech applications, including facial recognition, photo apps, and voice recognition systems. By consolidating its AI research centres, Samsung aims to leverage the robust AI talent pool in Toronto to enhance its competitive edge in the AI space.
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