Samsung Adds AI Appliances That Can Identify Food, Suggest Recipes

Your refrigerator is becoming a personal shopper with artificial intelligence.

Samsung is rolling out a new wave of AI features that can recognize your voice, update your shopping list, and keep track of your ingredients. The company is trying to make the future once captured on the big screen a reality by allowing people to talk to their appliances.

The features coming to its new wave of appliances this year include software that can recognize food in your refrigerator, suggest recipes based on what’s available, and add any missing ingredients to your Instacart shopping list.

The technology, called Vision AI, captures what’s in your fridge so you don’t have to manually track it, Michael McDermott, executive vice president of consumer electronics at Samsung, told Business Insider.

The updated refrigerator can identify specific foods, like a can of Coke, using a large language model and display them in a companion app on your phone, so you can check your supply at home while out grocery shopping.

The software update for Samsung’s AI-powered fridge, the Bespoke AI Family Hub, was first unveiled at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Many of its AI features are powered by Google Gemini. Google didn’t respond to a request for comment.

These features come at a cost. The AI-powered fridge starts at $2,799, and the smart range starts at $1,349.

The more advanced AI features, like the food recognition improvements, are set to roll out in May.

Samsung’s AI-powered oven comes with a camera that can recognize the dishes you place inside and recommend cooking time. It can also record video, for food influencers who want to see it cook up close.

Competitors like LG are also bringing AI into their appliances. LG said that its AI appliances are made to make everyday tasks easier by learning your habits and automating key functions.

Samsung also has its own virtual assistant, Bixby, that it’s infusing into appliances. It aims to provide a companion that recognizes specific users for a more tailored experience, McDermott said.

Voice ID, for example, could customize calendars and reminders based on who is speaking.

The goal is to create technology that fades into the background while making your day easier, McDermott said.