LG Electronics will be the first business in the world to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to its after-service (AS) system. This is its attempt to maximize personalized services to its customers by applying AI to AS system followed by household appliances.
According to an industry on the 29th, LG Electronics is planning to introduce AI system based on Deep Learning to its global AS system starting from 2017.
Its plan is to make database of cases of malfunction and repair methods by utilizing AI and is hoping to prepare AS methods according to situations per region or country based on database.
For example, when a repairman of AS approaches a difficult situation when he or she is fixing an air conditioner, all he or she has to do is take a picture of a situation and send it through a Smartphone. AI AS system then presents appropriate solutions based on information that it has learned from Big Data that is gathered from many countries in the world.
Because there is no need to examine appliances for couple days like before, efficiency in doing tasks will increase and it will be possible to decrease extra expenses as well. When data and experiences are accumulated, it is expected that LG Electronics will be able to provide appropriate AS solutions depending on a region or a country.
“When one looks at other countries, number of instances where service engineers can encounter such as installing household appliances by attaching them on both sides is beyond one’s imagination.” said a representative for LG Electronics. “By introducing AI at the same time we promote service engineers for each country, we will be able to increase efficiency of entire AS system.”
Reason why LG Electronics is introducing AI is because there is a need to improve global AS system. There are limitations when LG Electronics tries to solve appliances in different countries where climate and lifestyle are totally different from South Korea with AS system that is used in South Korea. In order to solve this problem, it has been working on variety of methods such as promoting local AS representatives. Actually it also localized facilities that educate representatives on AS in variety of countries such as India and Ethiopia.
Industries explain that not only does introduction of Machine Learning will contribute in improvement of repair system but it wil also reduce overall extra expenses by reducing time that is consumed by services.
Above all, they expect that information that is gathered from AS services will prevent malfunctions and be used to improve performance of household appliances in the future.
“We are currently preparing to introduce AI to AS system in South Korea as a first step and expand it globally by strengthening its language support.” said a high-ranking official for LG Electronics. “We predict that it will be possible to operate AI call centers for regular consumers.”
LG Electronics is evolving as a futuristic household appliance manufacturer that maximizes personalized services such as introduction of Deep Learning-based AI to its household appliances. It is going to introduce Deep Learning-based Smart home appliances at CES 2017 for the first time and develop Smart Home that has household appliances understand customers on their own and operate automatically.
Staff Reporter Jung, Youngil | jung01@etnews.com