LG Electronics (LG) president and CTO Dr. I.P. Park outlined the company’s vision for the future in his CES 2019 keynote, titled AI for an Even Better Life.

LG’s CTO outlined how the three key pillars of artificial intelligence – Evolve, Connect and Open – could deliver an AI ecosystem with diverse solutions for the real world.

The keynote featured LG’s AI technologies implemented in daily-life scenarios. The LG CLOi GuideBot shared the spotlight with Dr. Park during the address, becoming the first ever robot to help deliver a CES keynote in the process.

“Is technology making your life better?” Dr. Park began his keynote by asking the audience. “Over the past 100 years, household appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and vacuum cleaners have reduced time spent on housework by around 75 percent, but the amount of cognitive labor involved has significantly increased.” Dr. Park explained, “The answer lies in AI – but only if we can achieve true intelligence.”

Since its launch in 2017, the company’s AI brand LG ThinQ has seen its portfolio grow to include air conditioners, washing machines, TVs, smartphones and robot vacuum cleaners. Dr. Park presented LG’s latest innovations in these appliances which leveraged the power of AI: an advanced AI chip for home appliances, a washing machine with reinforced learning, and “self-healing” machines that can detect and fix malfunctions automatically without interrupting operation.

“But I want to talk about more than just improvements,” Dr. Park continued. “Our ambition is to go way beyond LG’s current role as a leading manufacturer of consumer electronics and to become a lifestyle innovator that serves a truly intelligent way of living.” Proclaiming LG’s vision for the age of artificial intelligence, Dr. Park explained how the three key ideas – Evolve, Connect and Open – will empower AI technology to transform every aspect of daily life. LG ThinQ products will evolve over time by learning about the user, connect seamlessly with customers’ lives and open up an eco-system of innovation made stronger by partnerships and cooperation, ultimately offering “a new and daring definition of better life.”

Dr. Park highlighted the importance of evolving intelligence in consumer electronics. For AI devices to go beyond simple voice recognition and automated task execution, they must be able to understand the purpose and intention behind each command. Such contextual understanding requires AI to evolve through accumulating interaction with the user.

LG is also extending its consumer insight from home to the road with its offerings for a new in-car experience. LG’s AI-enabled cabin solution will help users make the fullest use of their time saved from not driving, turning their vehicles into a conference room, movie theater or even personal shopping boutique.

Dr. Park then presented LG’s ambition to unlock the potential of AI technology a much larger scale by connecting hitherto individual units into intelligent systems. LG’s Robot Service Delivery Platform (RSDP) will systematically coordinate what multiple robots see, hear and learn to transform how we manage our work and our environment. AI-based smart grid will allow us to improve the efficiency of our energy ecosystem, from production and storage to consumption. Intelligent signage will turn the physical elements of space such as walls, signboards and even floors, into an active, intelligent part of environment.