LG Announces ThinQ AI Brand

LG Announces ThinQ AI Brand in 2017, Expanding Artificial Intelligence Across Smart Home Appliances On 20/12/2017, South Korean consumer electronics manufacturer LG Electronics announced LG ThinQ as a unified brand for its artificial intelligence-enabled products and services. The announcement established a common identity for LG's AI initiatives across home appliances, televisions, and other connected devices. The company planned to introduce ThinQ branding across products that could use artificial intelligence, internet connectivity, and data processing to provide more personalized functions. The initiative was part of LG's broader effort to develop connected home environments in which household appliances could communicate with users and respond to changing conditions. LG had used the ThinQ name before 2017. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2011, the company introduced its Smart ThinQ technology for connected home appliances, including refrigerators, washing machines, and ovens. These earlier systems focused on network connectivity, remote monitoring, energy management, and smart diagnostic functions. The December 2017 announcement therefore represented the expansion and repositioning of an existing technology name into a broader artificial intelligence brand, rather than the first appearance of ThinQ. The new LG ThinQ identity was intended to bring several product categories under a consistent AI strategy. LG described three guiding principles for its artificial intelligence development: the ability to evolve through use, integration with connected environments, and openness to third-party platforms. These principles reflected the company's plans to develop appliances that could learn from operating data, communicate with other devices, and work with external voice assistants and smart home services. Refrigerators were among the products included in LG's connected appliance strategy. Smart refrigerators could provide functions such as remote temperature monitoring, food-management tools, and interaction with other connected kitchen devices. LG's InstaView ThinQ refrigerator, demonstrated at CES 2018, incorporated a touchscreen interface and support for Amazon Alexa voice services. These capabilities allowed users to access information and manage selected connected-home functions through the refrigerator. Washing machines were another focus of LG's AI-enabled appliance development. Connected laundry appliances could use information about operating cycles and fabric-care settings to assist users in selecting washing programs. LG also promoted remote monitoring and diagnostic functions through its connected appliance platforms. Later ThinQ-enabled washing machines incorporated more advanced AI-based fabric detection and cycle recommendations, although those features were introduced progressively and should not all be attributed to the original 2017 announcement. LG also applied AI-related functions to air conditioners and robotic vacuum cleaners. Connected air-conditioning systems could support remote temperature adjustment and operating schedules, while selected products used sensors and automated controls to respond to indoor conditions. LG's robotic vacuum cleaners incorporated navigation and obstacle-detection technologies intended to improve automated cleaning. The capabilities varied by model, region, and product generation, rather than being universally available across all ThinQ-branded appliances. The ThinQ announcement preceded CES 2018, held from 09/01/2018 to 12/01/2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. At the exhibition, LG demonstrated its expanding AI ecosystem and introduced the LG CLOi robot family alongside connected appliances and home entertainment products. The company also presented DeepThinQ, its proprietary deep-learning technology, as part of its research into artificial intelligence for consumer electronics. Over subsequent years, LG expanded ThinQ from a product branding initiative into a broader connected-device platform. The LG ThinQ mobile application enabled users to register and manage compatible appliances, receive notifications, monitor selected operating functions, and access diagnostic information. Integration with voice assistants and other connected-home systems developed alongside these services, although compatibility depended on the specific product and market. Historical Significance The December 2017 announcement formalized LG's transition from individual connected-appliance features toward a unified AI product strategy. By combining its DeepThinQ research with technologies from external partners, LG established a framework for developing interconnected appliances and consumer electronics under one brand. This approach was demonstrated publicly at CES 2018 and subsequently expanded through LG's connected-home products and services