Samsung CEO: Southeast Asia to become centre for Galaxy AI development

SAN FRANCISCO — Asia Tenggara is trusted to become a centre for the development of artificial intelligence (AI), according to TM Roh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile eXperience (MX) Business division, speaking during an interview session with several Southeast Asian media representatives at the Galaxy Unpacked event held in San Francisco on Wednesday (25 February 2026).

Dressed in a black suit and pink shirt, Roh stated: “Openness to technology and enthusiasm demonstrate that this region will become a centre for AI development.”

Furthermore, 7 out of 10 people surveyed also believe that AI will improve their quality of life.

To support AI growth in Southeast Asia, Samsung has deployed three research and development (R&D) centres located in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. These facilities serve to localise Galaxy AI to align with the language and environment of each region.

“We will continue to develop capabilities alongside our local R&D teams, so that the user experience becomes increasingly relevant for consumers in Southeast Asia and Oceania,” said Samsung’s mobile division chief.

With a beaming expression, the Samsung Mobile executive also stated that the use of AI features on Samsung devices continues to increase over time, including Galaxy AI and AI features from Samsung partners such as Google Gemini.

To grow the user base further, Samsung’s AI features have also been expanded to various Samsung device ecosystems, from televisions to household appliances.

According to Roh, one of the most widely used AI features in Southeast Asia is Circle to Search and Photo Assist. Circle to Search is a feature that allows users to search for something by circling an object displayed on their mobile phone screen. Meanwhile, Photo Assist is a Galaxy AI feature that can help users edit photos with practical and advanced mechanisms.