Samsung’s AI refrigerator update could change the future of smart homes

Beginning today, the update is bringing an expanded version of the food recognition feature AI Vision built with Google Gemini, a significantly more capable version of Bixby voice control and an enriched suite of personalized daily widgets through Now Brief.

“A home appliance’s value should not be fixed at the moment of purchase — it should grow as the technology around it evolves,” said Jeong Seung Moon, Executive Vice President and Head of the R&D Team for the Digital Appliances (DA) Business at Samsung Electronics. “With this update to the Family Hub, Samsung is delivering a more intelligent kitchen experience that recognizes a wider variety of foods, understands natural conversation and adapts to the routines of each household.”

AI Food Manager: Recognition of More Food Items With Cloud AI

The updated AI Food Manager now significantly expands the range of food items the Family Hub can recognize and track through enhanced AI Vision. Combining with cloud intelligence, the system now identifies more fresh produce and packaged goods other than its 40 pre-studied items with greater accuracy — including popular branded products and regionally specific ingredients.

For packaged goods, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) enables accurate identification of a broader range of branded products across global markets.

Drawing on AI-analyzed usage patterns, the Family Hub also proactively alerts users7 when frequently consumed items need to be replenished — simplifying grocery planning and helping to reduce food waste.

Bixby: More Natural and Intelligent Voice Control

The update also introduces a more advanced Bixby, enabling more natural, conversational interactions with the refrigerator. Rather than using specific commands, consumers can speak more conversationally — and Bixby will respond with contextual understanding and take appropriate actions.

This applies to what would normally be considered complex actions prior to this update. With it in place, users can experience interactions such as the following:

Requesting Sphere Ice

User: “Hi Bixby, make round ice for my drink.”
Bixby: “Okay, I’m turning on the Sphere Ice mode.”

Asking to Reduce the Internal Temperatures During Hot Weather

User: “Hi Bixby, make the fridge cooler when it gets hot out.”

Bixby: “At what outdoor temperature should I make the fridge cooler?”

User: “90°F or above.”

Bixby: “Okay, I’ll set up a routine to turn on Power Cool for the Family Hub refrigerator when the outdoor temperature is 90°F or above.”

Interactions like these demonstrate how Bixby moves beyond simple commands to enable more intuitive, responsive control that adapts to everyday needs.8

Now Brief: A More Personalized Daily Experience

The update expands Now Brief — the Family Hub’s default daily display — to include a richer, tailored set of widgets designed to make the refrigerator screen more useful in everyday home life. These include:

Trending Recipes: Daily recommended popular recipe videos, which can also be accessed through SmartThings Food.

FoodNote: Draws on the AI Vision food list to display the top most frequently used ingredients from the past week and recommends recipes.

What’s for Today?: Offers menu recommendations through either a random suggestion or a pick based on refrigerator contents, turning the daily question of what to cook into a more engaging, gamified experience.

Users can also receive personalized widget experiences through Voice ID recognition. Once a household member’s voice is identified, Now Brief surfaces tailored content such as upcoming calendar events, emojis, reminders for birthdays/anniversaries, interest-based news and health-connected data like sleep pattern summaries and daily activity updates.

Availability

The over-the-network (OTN) update begins rolling out to select Bespoke AI Refrigerator Family Hub models in the U.S. starting May 11. Expansion to the 9-inch AI Home and additional global markets will follow on a phased basis throughout 2026.