Samsung to embed Google's generative AI tech in S24 smartphone series

(Reuters) - Samsung will deploy Google's generative artificial intelligence technology in its Galaxy S24 series smartphones that were unveiled on Wednesday, the companies said.

Under the multi-year deal, the South Korean firm's flagship S24 series will use in-built Gemini Nano, Google's most-efficient large-language model, and get access to Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 text-to-image tech through the cloud.

Google is locked in a race with Microsoft to embed GenAI in everyday applications and devices including smartphones, personal computers and productivity software, as the companies seek new avenues to monetize the tools.

The market share of GenAI smartphones is likely to double in 2024 from 4% in 2023, market research firm Counterpoint Research said last month.

The Google deal will make Samsung one of the first companies to test Gemini Ultra, the search engine giant's most capable and largest large-language model.

Customers can start using AI-powered summarization and classification features on Samsung's native applications such as Notes, Voice Recorder and the keyboard.

The Imagen model will also help users perform complex photo editing tasks in the Gallery application of the S24 smartphones, which go on sale around end-January.

Samsung in the fourth quarter of 2023 lost market share to Apple and Chinese smartphone makers Xiaomi and Transsion, with global shipments falling to 53 million units from nearly 60 million a year earlier, according to analytics firm International Data Corporation.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)