Samsung Electronics will push to embed artificial intelligence across its devices, services and internal operations as part of a sweeping effort to establish leadership in the global AI transition, the company’s device chief said in a New Year address to employees.
Roh Tae-moon, CEO of Samsung’s Device eXperience (DX) division, said Thursday that the company must “organically integrate AI technologies into all DX devices and services” to deliver differentiated customer experiences. “Our goal is to become a leading company driving the AI transition,” he said.
Roh framed the initiative—internally referred to as “AX,” or AI transformation—as a fundamental shift in how Samsung’s workforce thinks and operates, rather than a simple adoption of new tools. “AX is about transforming our mindset and work processes at a foundational level,” he said. “By leveraging AI, we can innovate the way we work, improve speed and significantly enhance productivity.”
The message underscores the mounting pressure on Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone and television maker, to redefine its consumer electronics business around AI as rivals including Apple, Google and Chinese manufacturers race to embed generative AI and on-device intelligence into their products.
Roh pointed to Samsung’s technological capabilities and risk-management discipline as competitive advantages in a volatile global market. “Our technology leadership and proactive risk management can turn crises into opportunities,” he said, urging teams to secure market leadership through “overwhelming product competitiveness and strong crisis response.”
He also stressed agility and rapid execution, calling on managers to sense market shifts in real time and respond flexibly. The remarks reflect the faster product cycles and software-driven competition that have come to define the consumer tech industry.
Notably, Roh emphasized compliance as a non-negotiable priority, a point that resonates in a company that has faced governance challenges in the past. “Compliance is a core value that both the company and its employees must uphold,” he said. “We must build an unwavering compliance culture to ensure a sustainable future.”
Samsung released separate New Year messages for its two main business units—the DX division and the Device Solutions (DS) semiconductor unit, which is led by Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun—highlighting their distinct strategic agendas. The company also said it will no longer hold a traditional New Year kickoff ceremony, choosing instead to communicate its annual direction through written and video messages from top executives.
The shift in tone and format suggests Samsung is adapting its internal communications as it seeks to accelerate decision-making and align its vast workforce behind its AI ambitions.
