LG Electronics Launches ThinkQ AI in Europe... 'Upgrade and Management Features' to Expand Globally

Introducing AI Appliance Management Services
Gradual Expansion from Europe to Asia and Central & South America
Plans to Offer Country-Specific Customized Services

Starting next month, LG Electronics will launch a service in the European market that upgrades AI-powered home appliances or helps prevent malfunctions.

In Europe, LG has previously offered convenience features such as remote appliance control and IoT (Internet of Things) device connectivity through the existing ThinkQ platform. However, with the rapid increase in both AI appliance product lines and customers using them, the company announced on August 26 that it will enhance and expand various features and services to introduce 'ThinkQ AI.'

LG Electronics plans to gradually expand the functions and services of the ThinkQ AI platform, which is currently available in South Korea and the United States, starting with Europe and then to Asia, Central and South America, and other regions.

ThinkQ AI consists of two main services: 'ThinkQ Up,' which continuously upgrades existing appliances with new AI features, and 'ThinkQ Care,' which makes it easy to manage product status, such as malfunctions or abnormal signs.

ThinkQ Up (called 'Up Appliances' in Korea) is a service that allows customers to continuously upgrade necessary features even after purchasing their appliances. For example, customers who acquire a pet can add a pet care feature to their washing machine or dryer via a software upgrade, enabling the removal of allergy-causing substances. Additionally, customers who frequently wear thin fabrics during the summer can use the upgrade to finely adjust the drying level from the previous 5 levels to 13, allowing for customized drying based on the type of fabric.

Collecting customer ideas through the 'Share Your Ideas' feature within the ThinkQ app. LG Electronics.

Since its launch in 2022, ThinkQ Up has expanded its supported products and features in South Korea and North America, surpassing a cumulative 20 million downloads as of the first half of this year. The number of appliances connected to the ThinkQ app has also increased by more than 40% compared to the previous year.

The ThinkQ Care service monitors energy usage and uses AI to analyze malfunctions or abnormal signs in real time, notifying customers in advance. If issues such as abnormal refrigerator temperature or a slightly open door are detected, notifications are sent to the customer's smartphone. Without a service engineer's visit, customers can use the ThinkQ AI app to remotely check usage history at the service center for self-diagnosis or receive guidance on how to quickly request after-sales service.

Additional convenience features to be included are 'Smart Routine,' which adjusts appliances and IoT devices to the desired state based on personal lifestyle patterns; 'Smart Pairing,' which sends washing machine usage data to the dryer for customized operation; and 'AI Recipe,' which automatically provides cooking instructions when a food image is entered.

LG Electronics will also introduce customized features in Europe that reflect customer feedback, taking into account the different environments and preferred functions for appliance use in each country.

In Spain, where the weather is hot, the 'Fresh Keeper' feature is useful, allowing customers to remotely add extra rinses after a wash to prevent clothes left in the washing machine from wrinkling or developing odors, or to periodically rotate the drum to minimize creases. In Germany and France, where there is strong interest in environmental issues, features such as 'AI Saving Mode' will be introduced. This mode analyzes customers' main usage times and periods when they are away from home to provide AI-based energy-saving modes for refrigerators.

Through the 'Share Your Ideas' feature (called 'UP Appliance Idea Proposal' in Korea) within the ThinkQ app, LG Electronics has collected approximately 30,000 customer ideas so far. In fact, the 'Fixed-Volume Water Dispensing 2.0' function for refrigerators was upgraded based on customer feedback requesting the ability to freely set additional dispensing volumes beyond the preset amounts.

Ryu Jaecheol, President of LG Electronics Home Solutions Division, said, "We will continue to upgrade and manage our products so that customers can use them without inconvenience even after purchase, and we will provide an ever-evolving AI home appliance experience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.