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Candice Kim, Lim Jaeho candicekim1121@ajupress.com, ajupresswogh@ajupress.com

[[CES 2026]] Samsung sets AI-led daily-use theme at CES 2026 SEOUL, January 05 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will showcase its vision for integrating artificial intelligence into everyday life at 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2026), opening a standalone exhibition space and hosting a series of events during the annual technology trade show in Las Vegas. The South Korean tech giant said it will operate a dedicated exhibition hall at the Wynn and Encore Las Vegas from Jan. 4 to 7 (local time), alongside its annual “First Look” event, which combines product exhibitions, press briefings and forums. This year’s theme, “Your Companion to AI Living,” highlights Samsung’s push to embed AI across consumer electronics, home appliances and healthcare-related services. At the entrance of the exhibition, Samsung has installed an immersive “AI Gallery,” featuring large-scale displays and audiovisual presentations outlining its AI strategy and product ecosystem. The exhibition space is divided into three zones — entertainment, home and care — reflecting Samsung’s focus on AI-driven use cases across different aspects of daily life. The entertainment zone features large-format televisions, including a 130-inch Micro RGB TV, along with audio and gaming devices. Samsung is also demonstrating its integrated AI platform for TVs, Vision AI Companion. In the home zone, the company is showcasing AI-enabled appliances such as refrigerators, washers and robotic vacuum cleaners, including models equipped with camera, screen and voice-recognition functions. Some appliances incorporate Google’s Gemini AI assistant. The care zone focuses on health and safety solutions built around Samsung Health, Galaxy wearable devices and its SmartThings platform. Demonstrations include pet-monitoring services and home safety features. Samsung said the exhibition reflects its broader strategy to position AI not as a standalone feature, but as a core layer across its consumer electronics portfolio. CES 2026 runs from Jan. 7 to 10 in Las Vegas, with major technology companies using the event to outline product roadmaps and strategic priorities for the year ahead. 2026-01-05 16:37:46
Packaging becomes the real bottleneck in AI race — opening a window for Samsung SEOUL, January 05 (AJP) - In the premium AI chip race, supremacy is increasingly defined not by transistor density but by advanced packaging — the ability to assemble multiple high-performance chips into a single accelerator capable of handling massive workloads efficiently. Packaging was once regarded as a back-end step, sealing finished chips into protective casings and mounting them onto boards, work largely handled by outsourced assembly and test firms. In the era of AI accelerators, however, “advanced packaging” has emerged as a decisive stage of chipmaking, bringing graphics processing units (GPUs) and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) into ultra-close proximity to boost performance, reduce power consumption and shorten time to market. This shift is blurring traditional boundaries between foundries and packaging specialists — and turning packaging capacity into the tightest choke point in the AI supply chain. “Advanced packaging has become essential — not optional — in the AI era. Without it, AI semiconductors simply cannot be built,” said Ahn Ki-hyun, secretary general of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association. “Globally, only two companies — TSMC and Samsung — currently possess truly advanced AI packaging capabilities.” The most sought-after advanced packaging technology today is CoWoS, short for Chips-on-Wafer-on-Substrate, developed by TSMC. The technology allows logic chips and memory stacks to be integrated on a shared substrate, a configuration essential for high-end AI accelerators. TSMC is struggling to keep up with surging demand from customers such as Nvidia, AMD and major cloud service providers. Google has reportedly scaled back its tensor processing unit (TPU) output target this year despite strong demand, as a significant portion of Taiwan’s CoWoS capacity through 2027 has been reserved for Nvidia — underscoring how critical access to packaging has become. According to TrendForce, TSMC’s monthly CoWoS capacity grew from roughly 13,000–15,000 wafers at the end of 2023 to 35,000–40,000 wafers by late 2024 that doubled to 75,000–80,000 wafers by the end of 2025. The capacity is expected to expand to 120,000 wafers or more in 2026. Even so, demand continues to outstrip supply. The imbalance has made advanced packaging the most acute bottleneck in AI chipmaking. A single 12-inch wafer typically yields only nine to 10 Nvidia H100-class chips even under near-perfect packaging yields, sharply limiting how quickly AI accelerators can reach the market. Nvidia is estimated to account for nearly half of TSMC’s CoWoS output, followed by AMD and Broadcom — which manufactures Google’s TPUs. Remaining capacity is shared among customers including Amazon Web Services, Meta and Marvell. Global shipments of high-end AI accelerators rose sharply in 2024 and are expected to climb further in 2025, intensifying competition for limited packaging slots. Supply constraints have already forced adjustments across the industry, with Google carrying over part of its planned TPU output and server makers such as Dell and Supermicro facing delivery delays that at times stretched beyond 50 weeks. The ripple effects extend beyond AI chips themselves. Prices for legacy memory such as DDR4 have jumped as manufacturers prioritize high-end AI memory, highlighting the strategic value of tightly integrated memory and packaging capabilities. Samsung’s opening The persistent bottleneck is prompting major customers to seek alternatives to TSMC’s near-dominance in advanced packaging — a shift that is bringing Samsung Electronics back into focus. Unlike most competitors, Samsung can offer a turnkey solution that combines foundry manufacturing, HBM supply and advanced packaging under one roof. “Samsung holds an integrated edge,” Ahn said. “It has HBM technology, advanced manufacturing capabilities, fabs, and the ability to package HBM together with CPUs or GPUs. If customers bring a design, Samsung can deliver a fully packaged chip.” The company’s I-Cube (2.5D) and H-Cube (3D) platforms are designed to integrate logic chips with next-generation HBM, a capability expected to grow more important as the industry moves toward custom memory designs and the HBM4 era. Samsung’s share of the combined foundry and advanced packaging market remains modest compared with TSMC, but analysts note that the gap itself underscores Samsung’s potential upside as customers pursue multi-vendor strategies to reduce supply-chain risk. “TSMC, by contrast, does not produce HBM, making it difficult to describe its offering as a full turnkey solution,” Ahn added. That strategy has begun to yield results. Samsung’s recent win to manufacture Tesla’s AI6 chip, valued at an estimated $16.5 billion, is widely seen in the industry as validation of its integrated approach. Packaging sets the pace The growing focus on packaging reflects a broader shift in how AI hardware competitiveness is measured. Even with sufficient GPU designs and memory supply, AI accelerators cannot be shipped without access to advanced packaging lines — making CoWoS and its alternatives the final gatekeeper of AI infrastructure expansion. As AI workloads scale and next-generation chips such as Nvidia’s Blackwell platform enter the market, the industry’s center of gravity is moving from transistor scaling to assembly capacity. For Samsung, the persistent packaging crunch represents less a threat than a strategic opening — one that could reshape competitive dynamics as customers increasingly prioritize supply-chain resilience over single-vendor dependence. “From the perspective of Big Tech firms, receiving a completed AI chip from a single provider is highly attractive,” Ahn said. “Given that TSMC cannot absorb all demand on its own, it is increasingly likely that orders will flow toward Samsung.” 2026-01-05 15:36:51
Samsung Electronics to kick off earnings season with bumper Q4, signaling AI-driven boom SEOUL, January 02 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will kick off the tech sector’s preliminary fourth-quarter earnings season next week, offering an early gauge of the scale of surging demand for memory chips amid aggressive stockpiling driven by the global AI boom. Market consensus compiled by FnGuide shows the South Korean tech giant is expected to post operating profit of about 15.5 trillion won (about $10.7 billion) for the quarter ended December, more than doubling the 6.49 trillion won (about $4.5 billion) recorded a year earlier. The sharp rebound reflects strengthening prices across memory products as supply tightens and data-center investment accelerates. Prices have risen broadly across both DRAM and NAND, spanning mass-market to customized high-performance chips. Market tracker TrendForce estimates DRAM prices rose 13–18 percent in the October–December period, while NAND flash prices climbed 5–10 percent, supported by improving server demand and disciplined supply. Samsung will release a detailed breakdown by business division later this month when it publishes its final earnings report. For full-year 2025, Samsung’s operating profit is projected at around 39.15 trillion won, up roughly 20 percent from an estimated 32.7 trillion won in 2024, according to brokerage forecasts compiled in recent weeks. Against this backdrop, Jun Young-hyun, head of Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) division, has urged employees to strengthen the company’s “technology fundamentals” across memory, logic and advanced packaging. He said Samsung aims to fully leverage its integrated structure to respond to surging AI demand while deepening engagement with key customers. The Device Experience (DX) division, which covers smartphones, TVs and home appliances, faces a more mixed outlook. Global smartphone shipments are forecast to grow 2–3 percent in 2026, but competition in AI-enabled premium devices is intensifying. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 launch and the broader industry shift toward on-device AI are expected to play a key role in shaping performance. Roh Tae-moon, head of the DX division, said the unit will push “AI transformation” across products and internal operations, stressing the need for tighter execution and faster decision-making amid volatile consumer demand. Looking ahead, analysts expect Samsung Electronics’ operating profit to climb to around 85.4 trillion won in 2026, with some bullish forecasts exceeding 100 trillion won, assuming stable memory pricing and sustained investment in AI servers. Foundry revenue is projected to grow more modestly as Samsung ramps up its 2-nanometer-class gate-all-around (GAA) processes, though competition with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. remains a key challenge. In consumer electronics, demand remains subdued. Research firm Omdia forecasts global TV shipments will rise by about 1 percent in 2026, supported in part by replacement demand tied to major sporting events, including the North and Central America World Cup. In its New Year messages, Samsung also underscored the importance of compliance, safety and supply-chain stability, saying the company must reinforce execution capabilities amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty and the rising capital intensity of AI infrastructure. 2026-01-02 17:54:23
South Korea welcomes first babies of 2026 amid signs of fragile fertility recovery SEOUL, January 01 (AJP) - South Korea marked the start of the Year of the Red Horse with the birth of its first newborns at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2026, as two baby girls were delivered simultaneously at a maternity hospital in Seoul. According to CHA University Gangnam Medical Center, the two girls were born at exactly 12:00 a.m. to mothers aged 37, both in stable condition. One baby, weighing 2.88 kilograms, was delivered by cesarean section, while the other, weighing 3.42 kilograms, was born naturally. Both newborns and their mothers were reported to be healthy. One of the babies, nicknamed “Jjaem,” is the first child of a couple married for four years. Her father, Yoon Sung-min, 38, said he felt especially joyful that his daughter arrived at the very beginning of the new year. “I hope she grows up happy and enjoys life, just like her nickname suggests,” he said with a smile. The other newborn, nicknamed “Dori,” is the second child of her parents. Her father, Jung Dong-gyu, 36, said he had expected a late-December birth but was grateful that both mother and child held on until the new year. “It feels meaningful that she became one of the first babies of 2026,” he said, adding that he hopes more children will be born around her so she can grow up with many friends. Separately, another baby girl was born under dramatic circumstances later that day aboard a fire-service helicopter in the skies over Jeju Island. According to the Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters, emergency services received a request at 11:30 a.m. from an obstetrics clinic in Jeju City to transport a woman in her 30s who was experiencing premature rupture of membranes at 30 weeks of pregnancy. A rescue helicopter was dispatched, but during the flight to a mainland hospital, the woman went into labor and delivered the baby at 1:17 p.m. Both the mother and newborn were reported to be in stable condition. Officials described the airborne delivery as a rare case, made possible by the swift response of emergency personnel. The symbolic New Year births come as South Korea shows tentative signs of a rebound in childbirth after years of record-low fertility. The country’s total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime — stood at about 0.80 for the January–October period last year. If the trend holds through year-end, it would mark the first return to the 0.8 range in four years. Korea’s fertility rate fell to 0.81 in 2021, dropped further to 0.78 in 2022 and hit a record low of 0.72 in 2023, before edging up to 0.75 in 2024 — the first rebound in nine years. Government and research projections suggest the recent uptick may continue. The National Assembly Budget Office estimates the fertility rate at 0.80 last year and 0.90 this year, with a gradual rise to 0.92 by 2045. It attributes the improvement to a rebound in marriages delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in the population of women in their 30s, and gradually improving perceptions toward marriage and childbirth. Official population projections also point to a recovery trend. Under the medium scenario, the fertility rate is expected to bottom out at 0.65 before rising to 0.68 this year, 0.71 in 2027 and 0.75 in 2028. A more optimistic scenario sees the figure climbing from 0.75 to 0.80 this year and 0.84 by 2027. Public attitudes appear to be shifting as well. A survey by the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy showed that the share of people expressing willingness to marry rose from 61.0 percent in March 2024 to 65.2 percent a year later. The proportion saying they believe children are necessary increased from 61.1 percent to 70.9 percent over the same period. Still, the country's fertility rate remains well below the OECD average of 1.43 in 2023 and far under the replacement level of 2.1 needed to sustain the population. 2026-01-01 17:22:26
Samsung Display rolls out 360Hz QD-OLED with new pixel structure as high-end monitor competition intensifies SEOUL, January 01 (AJP) - Samsung Display has begun mass supply of a 34-inch QD-OLED monitor panel featuring a newly designed “V-Stripe” pixel structure, as panel makers race to differentiate performance in the premium gaming and productivity market. The company said it started shipping the panels in December to seven global manufacturers, including ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte. The model supports a 21:9 ultra-wide aspect ratio, a 360Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 1,300 nits. The V-Stripe layout arranges red, green and blue sub-pixels vertically rather than in the conventional triangular configuration used in existing QD-OLED panels. Samsung Display says the redesign improves edge clarity for text, addressing demand from users involved in coding, document editing and content creation. High-refresh-rate performance on ultra-wide displays typically poses challenges due to increased pixel counts, heat generation and the need for uniform signal timing across the panel. The company said it improved material efficiency and panel design to mitigate luminance loss and thermal load during high-speed operation. The new panel will appear in several monitor models to be unveiled at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Samsung Display will also showcase the technology at a private booth at the Encore at Wynn hotel during the event. According to market researcher Omdia, products using self-emissive displays such as OLED are expected to account for 27 percent of premium monitors priced above $500 in 2026, up from 14 percent in 2024, reflecting a continued shift away from LCD. Samsung Display is projected to hold more than 75 percent of the OLED monitor panel market next year, with estimated shipments of 2.5 million units. 2026-01-01 15:47:31
Korea's exports hit record $709.7 billion in 2025 as chip shipments surge to all-time high SEOUL, January 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports hit an all-time high in 2025, surpassing $700 billion for the first time, driven by record semiconductor shipments despite weakening demand in key overseas markets. According to data released Thursday by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, exports rose 3.8 percent from a year earlier to $709.7 billion, topping the previous record set in 2024. Average daily exports also reached a historic high of $2.64 billion. Semiconductor exports — the country’s largest item — climbed 22.2 percent to $173.4 billion, setting another annual record as global AI investment pushed up memory prices. Automotive exports edged up 1.7 percent to $72 billion, also a record despite tariff-related declines in U.S.-bound shipments. Other major gainers included bio/health (+7.9%), ships (+24.9%), computers (+4.5%), and wireless devices (+0.4%). Exports of agricultural and fisheries goods, cosmetics and electrical equipment all reached historic highs amid growing global interest in K-food and K-beauty. By contrast, petroleum products (-9.6%), petrochemicals (-11.4%), and steel (-9.0%) declined due to lower oil prices and global oversupply. Shipments to China — Korea’s biggest market — fell 1.7 percent, while exports to the United States dropped 3.8 percent, weighed down by tariffs on Korean automobiles and machinery. Exports to ASEAN rose 7.4 percent, to the EU 3.0 percent, and to CIS countries 18.6 percent. Total imports were nearly flat at $631.7 billion, with reduced energy purchases offsetting increased imports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. As a result, Korea posted a $78 billion trade surplus for 2025. In December alone, exports grew 13.4 percent to a monthly record $69.6 billion, marking the 11th straight month of year-on-year gains. Chip exports in December surged 43.2 percent to a historic monthly high of $20.8 billion. Industry Minister Kim Jeong-gwan said Korea must use the momentum to upgrade export competitiveness, citing “manufacturing AI transformation” and accelerated investment in advanced sectors including AI semiconductors. 2026-01-01 11:50:25
K-haircare push expands in US as LG H&H's Dr. Groot draws crowds in New York SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - South Korea’s K-beauty influence is extending into the hair-care sector as LG Household & Health Care’s derma scalp-care brand Dr. Groot drew nearly 1,700 visitors during a pop-up event in New York earlier this month, reflecting growing overseas interest in Korean premium hair-care products. Dr. Groot operated a two-day “pop-up truck” in Manhattan on Dec. 11–12, offering scalp-analysis services and product trials that the brand said were designed to introduce its treatment-focused hair-care concept to US consumers. The event attracted long queues despite sub-zero temperatures, according to the company on Wednesday. The activation comes amid rapid sales momentum in North America, where Dr. Groot posted year-on-year growth of about 800 percent in the first half of 2025. LG H&H has been expanding its presence in the region as global demand rises for scalp-care products marketed under the “K-haircare” banner. The pop-up also drew attention from major social-media influencers, including Bretman Rock, who visited on both days and generated online content that helped push total impressions related to the event to around 30 million as of Dec. 30, LG H&H said. Other beauty creators, such as Matt Loves Hair and Via Lia, also shared content from the site. “We will continue expanding overseas activations to strengthen global awareness of our hair-care brands,” an LG H&H official said. “Competition in the US is growing, and building consumer familiarity remains a priority.” 2025-12-31 15:30:31
Samsung to highlight regional startups as it expands C-Lab presence at CES 2026 SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will expand its startup program footprint at next year’s CES by bringing 15 C-Lab startups — including the largest number of regional teams to date — to the global tech show, signaling the company’s continued shift toward broader ecosystem-building rather than in-house product promotion. The companies will showcase AI, robotics and digital-health technologies inside Eureka Park at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, where Samsung will operate a dedicated C-Lab booth from Jan. 6 to 9. Of the 15 teams, seven are based in Daegu, Gwangju and North Gyeongsang Province, marking the highest level of regional participation since the program began exhibiting at CES in 2016. C-Lab — Samsung’s startup incubation initiative launched in 2012 — now encompasses internal ventures, external startups and region-specific programs. The 2026 lineup includes eight C-Lab Outside startups, two C-Lab Inside projects, one team fostered with the Daegu Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, and four startups selected through Samsung Financial Networks’ incubation scheme. Startup teams will present services ranging from automated cooking robots and multimodal AI language models to pet-health analytics, digital scent solutions and cyber-risk assessment tools. Several C-Lab affiliated firms also won CES 2026 Innovation Awards this year, including two that received the show’s top honors. Samsung has expanded C-Lab Outside into Daegu, Gwangju and North Gyeongsang since 2023, aiming to create a pipeline that enables regional startups to grow without relocating to Seoul. The company provides workspace, consulting support and access to Samsung’s broader business network. To date, 40 regional startups have been incubated under the program. The exhibition will also feature two internal C-Lab Inside projects focused on AI-driven video editing and expert-based product-recommendation engines. Samsung says it views CES as a testing ground for early-stage concepts developed by employees before commercial viability is assessed. Since its launch, C-Lab has supported 959 internal and external teams, a figure projected to surpass 1,000 next year. 2025-12-29 16:45:29
In AI power game, China has the edge — at least for now, as U.S. makes energy a top priority Editor’s Note AI is no longer defined solely by algorithms. As large-scale deployment accelerates, data centers and power infrastructure have become decisive constraints. AJP examines how energy capacity is reshaping the U.S.–China AI rivalry — and what lessons South Korea must draw as time tightens in the global race. SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - AI is no longer constrained mainly by algorithms or chips. As data centers scale to industrial size, electricity has emerged as the decisive bottleneck shaping global competition. In that race, China currently holds a structural advantage, while the United States is scrambling to realign its energy policy to sustain its lead in artificial intelligence. AI-focused data centers already consume as much electricity as heavy industries such as steel or petrochemicals, and their demand is projected to more than double by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency. By the end of the decade, global AI infrastructure is expected to require more than 700 terawatt-hours (TWh) of power annually — exceeding Japan’s total electricity consumption today. China enters this phase with unmatched scale. In 2023, it generated about 8,900 TWh of electricity, nearly twice the U.S. total of roughly 4,500 TWh. Its installed power capacity stands at about 3.75 terawatts, supported by simultaneous expansion across coal, solar, wind and nuclear energy. Beijing is pushing ahead with nuclear construction at a pace unmatched globally, with 34 reactors under construction and nearly 200 more in planning. It also installs more than 100 gigawatts of solar capacity and about 60 gigawatts of wind capacity each year. China’s solar manufacturing capacity alone exceeds 1,000 gigawatts, compared with about 26 gigawatts in the United States. This expansion is reinforced by an extensive ultrahigh-voltage transmission network stretching more than 45,000 kilometers, enabling electricity to flow from inland power bases to coastal data-center clusters. Under the government’s “East Data, West Computing” strategy, regions such as Inner Mongolia offer long-term power contracts at around 3 cents per kilowatt-hour, far below typical U.S. rates. China now adds more electricity demand each year than the total annual consumption of Germany. Entire rural provinces are blanketed with rooftop solar, and in some cases a single province generates power on a scale comparable to India’s nationwide output. The United States, meanwhile, is attempting to realign its AI competitiveness around energy availability rather than only compute. Washington’s new approach centers on three pillars: expanding natural-gas generation near data centers, accelerating next-generation nuclear such as small modular reactors (SMRs), and positioning the Department of Energy (DOE) as the coordinating hub for AI-energy infrastructure. Hyperscale companies including Amazon, Microsoft and Google have begun planning or acquiring natural-gas plants directly adjacent to AI clusters to secure long-term baseload power, an approach meant to bypass local grid congestion. In parallel, the DOE is funding SMR development to supply 24/7 nuclear power to future AI facilities, treating nuclear as a strategic enabler for compute scaling. The Biden administration has also released regulatory orders to speed up grid-modernization projects, reduce transmission permitting timelines, and create “AI-energy corridors” capable of supporting multi-gigawatt demand. These measures reflect a broader shift: U.S. policymakers increasingly view electricity as part of national AI security, not just industrial infrastructure. The United States, by contrast, remains the global center of AI model development and advanced semiconductor ecosystems, but its energy system is increasingly a constraint. The country has roughly 1.2 terawatts of installed generating capacity and benefits from abundant natural gas and nuclear resources. Yet more than 70 percent of U.S. transmission lines are over 25 years old, and renewable-energy projects face permitting backlogs exceeding 2,000 gigawatts. Data-center growth is also highly concentrated geographically. Nearly half of U.S. capacity is clustered in Northern Virginia, Dallas, Phoenix and Silicon Valley, raising grid congestion risks as hyperscale facilities increasingly require between 100 and 500 megawatts each. As AI models scale toward trillion-parameter systems and continuous real-time training, electricity — not chips — is becoming the binding constraint. Training GPT-4 alone is estimated to have consumed more than 50 gigawatt-hours of electricity, roughly enough to power San Francisco for three days. By 2028, AI-related activity is projected to consume electricity equivalent to 22 percent of all U.S. households. Recognizing these limits, Washington has begun reframing AI competitiveness around energy infrastructure. Recent executive orders on artificial intelligence and energy call for removing regulatory barriers and accelerating the buildout of power systems needed to support large-scale computing. The Department of Energy has launched a plan to co-locate data centers with energy infrastructure through public–private partnerships. Under the initiative, AI facilities would be developed on DOE-managed sites offering land, grid access and proximity to national laboratories, which play a central role in energy and materials research. The department is seeking input from data-center operators, utilities and the public through a formal request-for-information process, with the aim of launching the first operational AI infrastructure hubs by the end of 2027. Officials argue that closer coordination between energy developers and computing firms will be essential to sustain AI growth while maintaining grid stability and affordability. Co-locating data centers near research facilities is also expected to accelerate advances in next-generation power systems and computing hardware. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded across the global economy, the competitive frontier is shifting from algorithms to kilowatts. Countries capable of delivering stable, low-cost, multi-gigawatt power at scale will hold a decisive advantage in shaping the next phase of AI development. China’s centralized planning model allows rapid mobilization of land, transmission and generation capacity. The United States, by contrast, must navigate fragmented permitting regimes and aging infrastructure even as demand surges. The widening gap underscores how energy — once a background input — is fast becoming a core determinant of leadership in the AI era. 2025-12-29 16:32:59
Samsung to showcase unified AI vision in standalone CES 2026 exhibit SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - For the first time in its CES history, Samsung Electronics will operate a fully standalone exhibition space, breaking away from its long-established practice of presenting its products in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall. The move underscores Samsung’s push to position itself as a leader in connected AI ecosystems ahead of next year’s show. Samsung has secured a 4,628-square-meter venue at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, separate from the main CES grounds. The company said the location will allow it to present an “AI living platform” — a curated environment linking TVs, appliances, mobile devices and services through unified software and artificial intelligence. Unlike previous years, Samsung will structure the space around thematic experiences rather than product-by-product displays. The standalone format will consolidate demonstrations, technical briefings, partner meetings and a newly introduced “Samsung Tech Forum,” featuring panels on AI, devices, services and design between Jan. 5–6. A Samsung official said the decision to leave the LVCC was deliberate. “We previously showcased most of our systems in the Central Hall, but this year we wanted a larger, more private space,” the official said. “By operating a dedicated hall, visitors — whether consumers or business partners — can move seamlessly from product displays to announcement events and technology forums in one place.” Samsung said the shift reflects the need to demonstrate its AI capabilities across its entire device portfolio rather than as isolated features. The standalone venue is also intended to minimize congestion and offer guided, structured sessions. Ahead of the official CES opening, the company will host “The First Look,” an event used to preview new hardware and technologies. It will also hold two media briefings outlining its AI strategy and product roadmap. “Our goal at CES 2026 is to show how AI can blend into everyday routines through tightly connected hardware–software experiences,” said a representative. 2025-12-26 14:41:00