The sector of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and virtual assistants has gained unprecedented relevance in recent years, and Samsung has been a protagonist with innovative bets ranging from Bixby to the ambitious project NeonThis development has captured the interest of the entire industry and users alike, as it promises to change the way we interact with technology through a new generation of "artificial humans." Could Neon really replace Bixby, or are we facing an AI revolution on new horizons?
What is Neon? From artificial human to revolutionary virtual assistant
Neon is the commercial name of one of Samsung's most disruptive projects aimed at offering a “artificial human”, a concept never before seen in the field of artificial intelligence. Developed by Samsung Technology & Advanced Research Labs (better known as Star Labs), Neon is not just a traditional voice assistant: it is an advanced AI capable of inspiring naturalness, empathy and behaviors similar to those of a real person, both in form, expression and conversational capabilities.
The hype surrounding Neon has been fueled by mysterious social media posts and phrases like "Have you ever met an 'ARTIFICIAL'?" and "NEON = ARTIFICIAL HUMAN," published in multiple languages to capture the attention of a global and multicultural audience. The project's own website, along with its official profiles on Twitter and Facebook, have reinforced the idea that Samsung seeks to go far beyond the assistants known to date, promising a completely new and disruptive experience.
The goal behind Neon is to simulate a digital human being that can interact in a natural and personalized way, showing realistic faces, voices and gestures that allow users to feel like they are actually talking to a person. Thanks to generative AI technologies, Neon is capable of learning, adapting, and holding fluid conversations, constantly improving thanks to deep learning supervised by Samsung's proprietary algorithms.
With the implementation of Neon, Samsung aims to transform multiple environments—from the connected home to the service sector (customer service, education, entertainment, and more)—by taking artificial intelligence to new levels. It's not just about responding to commands, but about offering personalized interactions that, in some cases, can even make the user doubt which of the two is real, as noted by Shekhar Kapur, a film producer involved in the project.
Origins and technology behind Neon: the cutting edge of AI
The Neon project was conceived and developed by Samsung Star Labs, under the direction of Pranav Mistry, a renowned figure in technological innovation. From the outset, Star Labs aimed to create an AI capable of think, recognize, converse, and learn at a “human level”Samsung's ambition was not to create a simple conversational bot, but a new paradigm of autonomous artificial intelligence that can perform multiple functions and, if necessary, display emotions and contextual learning.
Neon's core architecture is based on patented technologies such as core r3 and specific development platforms. These technologies enable the creation and management of highly realistic virtual characters, capable of adapting to different contexts, personalities, and user needs. According to trademark and patent filings, Neon also encompasses variants such as Neon.Life and Neon Artificial Human, designed to serve a wide variety of fields, including digital entertainment, audiovisual production, education, and personalized business services.
According to official Samsung descriptions and USPTO filings, Neon's service package includes:
- Production of special effects and computer-generated graphics for movies and videos.
- Creation and animation of virtual human models customizable, for both professional and recreational use.
- Software development to manipulate, edit and export “avatars” or digital characters through specific platforms (such as Neon.Life) and in online environments.
- Integration with augmented reality (AR) applications and virtual reality (VR), enabling advanced interaction in multisensory environments.
- Generation of images, models and simulations for entertainment, marketing, training and immersive experiences.
This entire digital ecosystem is possible thanks to the combination of machine learning algorithm , advanced neural networks and real-time 3D rendering engines, which together allow Neon to display incredibly realistic expressions, reactions and behaviors when interacting with real people.
Will Neon replace Bixby? Key differences and future vision
One of the first questions that arose after Neon's announcement was whether this new "artificial human" would be the replacement for Bixby, the current virtual assistant built into most Samsung Galaxy devices. Samsung's official response has been clear on multiple occasions: Neon does NOT replace Bixby, nor does it compete directly with voice assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa. This has been confirmed in statements and social media posts, clarifying that Neon is an independent platform, designed for different purposes.
Bixby, meanwhile, is still active and is a well-established voice assistant designed to control device functions, manage tasks, integrate SmartThings, and facilitate automation in the Galaxy ecosystem. Samsung has made important investments both in Bixby and Neon, but maintains the coexistence of both, taking advantage of the strengths of each:
- Bixby It is mainly oriented towards the device management and automation Galaxy and the smart home, thanks to its integration with services like SmartThings and its voice, gesture, and text control capabilities.
- Neon points to the advanced and personalized interaction in the form of “digital humans,” capable of performing tasks beyond traditional voice assistants, with the ability to be integrated into both personal devices and business, entertainment, and communication solutions.
While Bixby already offers advanced routines to automate actions and replace apps like Tasker, Neon seeks to take a qualitative leap by moving digital presence into a more human and emotional realm. It's likely that in the future, both assistants coexist and collaborate, allowing Neon to take on roles related to natural interaction and personalization, while Bixby manages operational and control tasks for the Samsung ecosystem.
Current features and potential applications of Neon
Neon has been conceived not only as a conversational assistant, but as a Complete platform for creating, customizing, and experimenting with digital humansNeon's application scenarios are as broad and varied as contemporary AI needs:
- Personalized smart home assistance: Integration with the SmartThings ecosystem to manage devices, answer questions, offer recommendations, and maintain natural conversations with users.
- Customer service and digital advice: Used in businesses, stores, and services to provide customer service through realistic avatars that can communicate in multiple languages and adapt their personality to the customer's profile.
- Education and formation
- Entertainment and social interaction: Character development for video games, virtual presenters at events, digital hosts at trade shows, or autonomous demonstrators in physical and online stores.
- Experiences in augmented and virtual reality: Participation of Neon avatars in mixed reality environments, allowing for more immersive and realistic interactions within the metaverse and VR/AR applications.
Through its Neon.Life platform and Core R3 engine, users can create, edit and manage your own digital characters, use them as a visual representation in video calls, events, chatbots, training, or even as digital influencers on social media.
How is Neon different from other voice assistants?
While traditional virtual assistants (such as Siri, Google Assistant or Bixby) are designed to respond to commands and facilitate tasks through voice, Neon breaks that barrier by presenting itself as an interactive digital humanSome of the key differences are:
- Custom visual interface: Neon shows a ultra-realistic 3D avatar, with natural features, gestures and movements, allowing for a much closer and emotional experience.
- Emotional and contextual learning capacity: Thanks to its advanced AI, Neon can understand the context, detect the user's mood and respond accordingly, adapting its tone and attitude.
- Total multilingualism:Neon's official messages and posts are in multiple languages, suggesting a strong focus on globalization and adapting to different cultures and markets.
- Professional and entertainment applicationsWhile traditional voice assistants focus on device and home control, Neon can play the role of presenter, virtual actor, training assistant, or digital consultant, creating new opportunities in industries that require advanced human interaction.
- Autonomy and customizationUsers can modify the appearance, gender, voice, and personality of each Neon avatar, creating “digital humans” tailored to their preferences, needs, or brand image.
Neon's relationship with the Galaxy ecosystem and SmartThings
Samsung has opted for the total convergence of its technologies, with the aim of Neon may be integrated with Galaxy devices in the future, whether smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, laptops, or wearables. The idea is for users to be able to interact with their favorite "artificial humans" in any environment, taking advantage of the South Korean firm's hardware and software capabilities.
Platform SmartThings, which already connects home devices and enables automation through Bixby, could be one of the main environments for Neon integration, allowing avatars to manage connected devices not only through voice commands, but through more natural, visual and emotional interfaces.
In addition, Samsung's long-term vision is to further enhance the user experience with “AI Home”, integrating artificial intelligence into all aspects of the smart home and extending management and customization capabilities to every member of the family.
Implications for Bixby: Do they coexist, collaborate, or compete?
Although the presentation of Neon raised doubts about the future of Bixby, Samsung has been emphatic that Bixby remains the virtual assistant of choice for managing the brand's devices and services.. In fact, Bixby continues to evolve, now with generative AI feature integration, multilingual speech recognition, and expanded support for new apps, devices, and routines.
Bixby Voice, for example, provides:
- Full voice control of the Galaxy ecosystem
- Advanced Automation (Bixby Routines) for everyday tasks and process optimization
- Full integration with SmartThings and smart devices, controlling everything from home appliances to wearables
- Support for multiple languages and dialects, facilitating its global use
On the other hand, Neon seeks to function as a complement in areas where advanced human interaction is key. It is worth noting that no official Samsung publication mentions the disappearance or replacement of Bixby, but rather a complementation of functions: While Bixby remains focused on managing devices and routines, Neon would open the door to applications that require empathy, humanity, and extreme customization.
Evolution of virtual assistants at Samsung: from Bixby to Neon and beyond
The advancement of artificial intelligence in the Galaxy environment is not only limited to Neon and Bixby. Along the way, other experiments have emerged such as "Sam", a 3D virtual character designed by Lightfarm Studios and rumored as a possible replacement for Bixby, although never officially confirmed by Samsung. Despite Sam going viral on social media, the South Korean company has not taken any steps to replace Bixby with Sam, and everything indicates that Samsung's plans involve the coexistence and constant evolution of its assistants, rather than by radical replacement.
In fact, Samsung has made it clear in recent statements that its future commitment is focused on “AI for everyone”, with integrated, secure and personalized experiences both inside and outside the home, reinforcing control over privacy and data through cybersecurity solutions such as Samsung Knox Matrix.
The Korean company also regularly updates its software policy, expanding the support and compatibility of virtual assistants with new devices and operating system versions, allowing the artificial intelligence remains in constant evolution and adaptation to the trends of the digital and connected society.
Challenges and Opportunities: The Future of Neon and Artificial Intelligence at Samsung
The introduction of "digital humans" like Neon opens up new challenges for Samsung and the AI industry in general. Among the key challenges to be addressed are:
- Privacy and data securityGiven Neon's ability to learn, memorize preferences, and analyze emotions, Samsung must ensure a robust framework for privacy protection and compliance with international regulations.
- Interoperability and compatibility: : The integration of Neon into different devices, systems and platforms requires an open and flexible infrastructure, capable of adapting to international standards and the diversity of hardware.
- Ethics and transparencyThe advancement of generative AI raises ethical questions, such as the clear identification of real humans versus digital avatars, informed consent, and transparency in the use of personal data.
- Personalization and inclusivityTo be truly universal, Neon must adapt to users of different cultures, languages, and needs, enhancing accessibility and a personalized experience for everyone.
Samsung has made significant progress in including accessible features in its virtual assistants, allowing, for example, Bixby and future Neon avatars can read subtitles, adjust the interface for people with low vision, or provide contextual responses tailored to each profile.
The interest and expectation for samsung neon are growing as knowledge about its potential and applications expands. From its mysterious announcement to its first technical demonstrations, Neon has proven to be much more than a conventional virtual assistant. Not only will it not replace Bixby, but it opens the door to a new generation of "digital humans" capable of interacting with people in a natural, personalized, and efficient way. With progressive integration into the Galaxy ecosystem and platforms like SmartThings, Neon represents a revolution in the way we understand the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. Samsung's AI, inspired by the vision of "AI for everyone," is committed to personalized and secure experiences, ushering in a new era of everyday digital interaction.