Samsung shares its thesis on the future of design and AI (exclusive)

FastCompany: A Samsung Galaxy Tri-Fold smartphone sits beside something we haven’t seen before. It’s a round screen with a swiveling head. Called Project Luna, it has the mechanical charm of Luxo Jr., and a beep not so different from Wall-E. “The guests are here,” whispers a voice. Moments later, we hear an orchestra begin to play . Project Luna and the Galaxy become the conductors of a wide array of Samsung products and concepts, all of which share the same, pulsating orb graphic animation that lands somewhere between a face, mouth, eye, and the light ring of 2001: A Space Odyssey ’s HAL.

This is how Samsung is saying hello to its visitors at Milan Design Week for its exhibition Design Is an Act of Love . It’s also a glimpse of what’s to come from Samsung’s design. The installation marks the largest design statement from Samsung since it hired its first foreign chief design officer, Mauro Porcini, last year . [Photo: Samsung] “The idea is to give a vibe, a feeling of the kind of [design] language we want to use,” says Porcini, who cautions that Project Luna and many other products in the show are concepts—albeit believable ones.

“These are all things that could really happen in the near future.” The show demonstrates Samsung’s thesis on the coming UX of AI : that while phones will represent personal AI, we’ll increasingly see communal AI spread across our homes. For Samsung, that can mean an AI will be ready to pop onto your TV or your refrigerator, almost jumping frame to frame like Harry Potter wizards can dash between old oil paintings. [Image: Samsung] Well, I should say it demonstrates one piece of Samsung’s thesis on AI.

Because over a 90-minute conversation from Seoul, as Porcini describes his first year on the job, he keeps unpacking more about his dreams for both the Korean giant and for the technology industry at large. “The key message to everybody—to all the brand people, business people, creators, and designers of the world—is we need humanity more than ever to direct AI in the right direction, both creatively and then ethically,” he says. “[This technology] will happen no matter what.

What we need to talk about is the moral compass.” Samsung’s every-room AI For the installation in Milan, Porcini arranged existing Samsung products—like Music Studio speakers and Frame TVs —alongside several concepts for more AI-native products. They appear in the home, in the bedroom and kitchen, in seamless coexistence. The star of the show is the aforementioned Project Luna—which looks strikingly similar to a robot called Jibo that was developed out of MIT in the 2010s. The role of Project Luna is to be a dedicated AI companion for your home that can fill the gaps when there are no other AI devices around.

Samsung also teased other devices that share its AI sensibility. One product is a simple square speaker. An exposed vinyl record spins right out its side. It’s a neat analog product, but when needed, the quiet device can come to life with a glowing UI—complete with AI and a dynamic EQ. [Photo: Samsung] Samsung has been thoroughly roasted for launching refrigerators with screens (and ads) on them. I gather that Porcini is trying to walk a more careful line in screen-i-fying everything, even as AI teases new utility. This Milan space features a refrigerator with a traditional front that only gets a display from a projector.

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Samsung's approach to integrating AI with a human-centered design is significant for the industry, showcasing a forward-thinking strategy that many brand professionals can learn from.