Samsung Cuts Robot AI Computing by Two-Thirds, Doubles Speed

*Editor's Note: 'AI PRISM' (Personalized Report & Insight Summarizing Media) is an 'AI-based customized news recommendation and summary service' developed with support from the Korea Press Foundation. It selects and provides six customized news items for each reader type.

1. Daiso Strong Amid Recession… March Sales Hit All-Time High

- Key Summary: Daiso's estimated March credit card payments reached approximately 230.7 billion won, setting a monthly all-time high. This far exceeded the previous record of 216 billion won in October last year, while Daiso Mall's March MAU also surged to 5.47 million, up more than 500,000 from January (4.95 million) in just two months. The result reflects consumers turning to Daiso to cut living expenses amid concerns that the high inflation and high exchange rate environment triggered by the U.S.-Iran war aftermath will persist. Daiso plans to significantly strengthen its ultra-value product lineup in April-May, including launching "10-pad 1,000 won" sanitary products in partnership with Kleannara, continuing aggressive marketing. Analysts predict the company will enter the 5 trillion won annual sales era this year.

2. "Curious About Seoul and Jeju Scents"… Perfume Becomes Next K-Beauty

- Key Summary: Korea's January perfume exports reached $6.52 million (approximately 9.6 billion won), the highest monthly figure since statistics began in 1988, followed by $6.24 million in February, exceeding $6 million for two consecutive months. In exports to the U.S., the world's largest perfume market valued at $14 billion, January exports of $1.84 million surpassed imports of $1.27 million, turning the trade balance to surplus for the first time in 28 years. Kolmar Korea (161890.KS) showcased eight self-developed fragrances named after Korean cities—including Seoul Forest, Taebaek Spring, and Jeju Breeze—at Cosmoprof Hong Kong, attracting interest from Russian and Vietnamese companies with export contracts underway. Euromonitor forecasts the global perfume market will grow to $53.1 billion this year and reach $55.9 billion next year.

3. Collecting Pay-As-You-Throw Garbage, Patrolling Complexes… K-Apartments Become AI·Robot Testing Grounds

- Key Summary: Robot and AI companies are accelerating technology demonstrations using large-scale Korean apartment complexes as bases. Robotis (108490.KQ)'s autonomous robot 'Gaemi' has completed approximately 4,000 pay-as-you-throw garbage collections and parcel deliveries at an apartment complex in Guro-gu, Seoul. Neubility currently operates more than 300 robots at approximately 140 sites, expanding patrol and D2D (Door to Door) delivery services. In Neubility's January-March resident survey, patrol robot service satisfaction scored 4.13 out of 5, and D2D food delivery reorder rate reached 80%. SK Intellix has established 'NamuX' AI wellness platform experience zones in community spaces of large complexes in Gangnam and Seocho areas, while healthcare company Ceragem announced plans to establish urban silver towns with 'AI Wellness Home' services by 2028.

4. Creating Virtual Factories to Maximize Labor Efficiency… Semiconductors and Steel Also Adopting

- Key Summary: Major manufacturers in semiconductors and steel are successively adopting digital twins, spreading manufacturing innovation across industries. The core of digital twin technology lies in real-time data synchronization and simulation. Kia's Gwangmyeong EVO Plant reduced the time to identify anomalies from 120 minutes to 10 minutes through black box recording. Hyundai Steel (004020.KS) is building a digital twin control system for gas leak response at cold rolling plants with Hyundai Autoever (307950.KS). Samsung Electronics and SK hynix (000660.KS) operate virtual semiconductor factories using Nvidia's digital twin platform 'Omniverse.' Experts emphasize that securing 'golden data sets' from the field is a key prerequisite for obtaining precise simulation results.

5. Samsung Secures Humanoid Robot Brain Technology… 17 Judgments Per Second, Immediate Response to Emergencies

- Key Summary: Samsung Research (SR) officially announced 'Shallow·π' technology that reduces robot control AI model computing steps to one-third of conventional levels. By applying Knowledge Distillation technology (a technique that compresses core intelligence from large-scale AI models into smaller models), robot situational judgment speed increased more than twofold from 8Hz to 17.2Hz, achieving a 95% motion success rate in ultra-precision water hose insertion tasks requiring sub-1mm accuracy. Samsung Electronics has announced R&D investment of more than 100 trillion won this year, the largest ever, under its mid-to-long-term roadmap of 'complete transition to AI autonomous factories by 2030.' While Chinese companies lead the form factor competition in the global humanoid robot market expected to grow to $4.4 billion (approximately 6.34 trillion won) next year, Samsung is working to secure technological advantages through software capabilities and global talent recruitment.

6. Through Digital Twin… Kia Reduces Annual Labor by 3,750 Hours

- Key Summary: Analysis shows Kia reduced annual body production line equipment maintenance labor by 3,750 hours after adopting digital twin technology at its Gwangmyeong EVO Plant in August 2024. Previously, addressing a single equipment malfunction required 4 workers and 350 minutes of labor, but after digital twin adoption, this decreased to 100 minutes with the same personnel, reducing labor time to one-third. Assuming 900 equipment malfunctions per year and multiplying by 250 minutes saved per incident yields the conclusion of 3,750 hours of annual labor reduction. This case demonstrates that digital twin technology, which replicates real-world objects and spaces as data in virtual computer environments, is establishing itself as a practical efficiency tool in manufacturing.