Need a new mascot to fall in love with? Finally, your prayers have been answered! Samsung’s new virtual assistant, SAM, has taken over the internet, even though she’s not the official face of the company just yet!
Introducing… Sam!
To start things off, Sam stands for Samantha, not Samsung. Now that we’ve cleared that up, this 3D Virtual Assistant managed to take over the internet in just one night! However, believe it or not, Sam was never intended to become the face of the company – not yet, at least. In fact, although she was initially meant to be featured in a campaign, the creators of Sam explained that Samsung eventually scrapped the idea. After discarding the idea, Samsung allowed the design firm behind Sam, Lightfarm, to upload her to Lightfarm’s website. But now, given the internet’s reaction to the cutesy 3D girl with a Korean idol look, Samsung might want to change their mind…
Within hours of the photos going live on Lightfarm’s website, the internet quickly fell in love with Sam. She promptly went trending on Reddit and Twitter, while Korean fans have been using the words “kyeopta” (cute) and “jagiya” (sweetie). Sam’s likely particularly popular in Korea as the designers made her look like a Korean pop star: small nose and lips, as well as big bright eyes and a bob cut. As a result, sources within the company have leaked that Samsung’s executives have already started thinking about actually bringing Sam to life! Especially given the recent reviews.
Samsung’s Possible Virtual Assistant
Incredibly, Sam has even already managed to inspire cosplays and tons of fan art pieces. Meanwhile, the reviews remain highly optimistic. “I think it’s time to switch to Samsung,” one fan wrote on Twitter. Many smartphone users feel ready to switch to Android if she does become the official new AI helper on their device. “I’m must admit I was thinking of changing my iPhone for the new Samsung Galaxy just because of her…” another Twitter user wrote.
Of course, there are always a few people who have given some helpful criticism. For instance, many Apple users say that Sam looks very similar to Animoji for iPhones. Meanwhile, lots of other people love Samsung’s current assistant, Bixby, a faceless AI assistant that can help users do just about anything they want on their phones. It’s very similar to other AI assistants that are voice-only, like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. If Sam does launch, it will become one of the first official AI assistants with a body and face.
What’s the future of Sam? As of right now, we don’t know. However, one thing’s for sure: Samsung will continue to monitor the situation. If Sam holds onto her internet popularity, they may surely change course!
