In this blog post, we’ll explore how the Internet of Things (IoT)—going beyond the remote control technology that has existed for a long time—is transforming human life and society through interconnected objects, data, and artificial intelligence.
In 2015, Samsung Electronics announced its plan to actively pursue new businesses centered on the IoT, and in fact, that same year, the company launched a series of enterprise IoT solutions and IoT platforms. So what is it about the IoT that has led major corporations in South Korea and abroad to jump into the IoT business one by one? You may have seen TV commercials in the past showing people using their cell phones to remotely turn off a home boiler or activate a security system. Remotely operating a boiler or security system via a cell phone and the internet is a prime example of IoT technology. IoT (Internet of Things) literally means “the internet of things” and refers to the technology and environment in which various objects are connected via a network to exchange data and interact with one another. Today, IoT is utilized in ways where various devices—such as sensors, home appliances, automobiles, and industrial equipment—are connected to a network to collect and exchange data, and services are provided based on this data. However, with technology advancing so rapidly, one might wonder why remote control technology—which has long appeared in advertisements—suddenly garnered renewed attention under the name “IoT.” To be more precise, the IoT has already become firmly established in both daily life and industrial settings, and it is now evolving beyond simple remote control into a technology that connects various devices, data, and artificial intelligence. So why did the IoT gain such prominence as a new technology back then, and why is it still regarded as a crucial technology today?
Today’s society is far more complex than it was in the past. Compared to when the radio first appeared, it has now become a simple device that even middle and high school students can understand. This isn’t limited to electronic devices. As the population has grown, countless new laws have been enacted, and new professions have emerged. Nowadays, it is often difficult to sustain one’s social life relying solely on what one can do alone. As society grows increasingly complex and globalized, we find ourselves directly or indirectly connected to countless people without even realizing it. Events unfolding in places we know nothing about are also becoming more frequent. In such a situation, it is easy for us to be deceived, and it is also easy for us to deceive others. There are times when it is difficult to know exactly who made an item right in front of us or what distribution process it went through to reach us. There is a saying: “You may know the depth of ten-ri of water, but you cannot fathom the depth of one ri of a person’s heart.” If we cannot even fathom the intentions of the person right in front of us, how can we possibly know everything that might be happening without our knowledge in a society as complex as ours today, and live with peace of mind? As society becomes more complex and the number of events we cannot verify firsthand increases, distrust and anxiety can grow. The more we don’t know, the more distrustful and anxious we become.
In a way, this may explain why, since the Industrial Revolution, so many workers have been replaced by machines and electronic equipment. Machines can perform repetitive tasks that are difficult for humans to carry out with a high degree of precision, and as long as they are powered and properly maintained, they can perform the same task consistently for long periods of time. The machines that have taken the place of humans have been silently and steadily fulfilling their roles up to now. No one would ever think that an alarm set to go off at a specific wake-up time would forget to ring. Nor does anyone expect the latest security system guarding a safe to suddenly betray us and allow the safe to be broken into. We sometimes feel that we live in an “era where we can’t trust people, but we trust machines.” It’s not simply a matter of convenience and cost-effectiveness. Machines that operate according to set rules minimize the fluctuations caused by human error or emotion, thereby providing us with a sense of stability and predictability. We now sleep soundly, trusting our alarms, and leave our homes with peace of mind, relying on security systems. Using an alarm can even alleviate the worry that our parents might oversleep and fail to wake us up. Of course, machines aren’t entirely free from malfunctions, errors, or security issues either. In fact, as the number of IoT devices increases, privacy protection, security, and device reliability are becoming increasingly important issues. As the number of connected devices grows, it becomes crucial not only to ensure convenience but also to maintain the security of those connections.
However, there are still limits to what a single device can do. A single machine without intelligence can, quite literally, only perform tasks based on predetermined functions and commands. Yet we hope that these reliable devices will more broadly alleviate our distrust and anxiety. Therefore, it is only natural that IoT has garnered attention in this “era of machine trust.” Through IoT technology, objects connected via the internet can accomplish a far wider range of tasks than they can today. When the diverse data collected by these objects is integrated through a network and combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, it can be analyzed to automate more tasks than ever before and support human decision-making. In fact, today’s IoT is expanding beyond smart homes into various fields such as building management, energy management, and industrial sites. Samsung Electronics is also currently providing services that connect and manage home appliances, living spaces, and various building facilities through SmartThings and enterprise IoT solutions. For example, imagine a future scenario where the fork in your hand detects information about the food, and the stove in the kitchen adjusts the cooking level accordingly. While wearable devices are primarily limited to devices worn on the body, the IoT goes further, applying not only to various electronic devices but also to numerous objects that combine sensors and communication capabilities. If wearable devices are like armor that protects me, then IoT technology acts as an excellent team of assistants that coordinates the movements of interconnected devices in perfect unison according to my commands. Furthermore, by combining IoT with artificial intelligence, devices and systems can analyze accumulated data to identify certain patterns and, based on this, provide more appropriate services. Of course, we cannot assume that artificial intelligence is an entity possessing emotions and creativity like humans; it operates based on data and algorithms. Because of these characteristics, in areas where predictable tasks are performed based on specific rules and data, machines and AI can assist humans or take over certain tasks. Ultimately, it is highly likely that in the future, there will be a gradual distinction between areas that absolutely require human creativity and judgment and those that machines can perform more efficiently. Similarly, rather than unconditionally replacing humans—whose performance can vary due to mistakes and emotions—IoT technology will evolve into a technology that reliably handles repetitive and automatable tasks while supporting human life. With IoT as a reliable ally, humans will be able to delegate tasks that machines excel at to machines, allowing them to focus on the more important tasks of judgment and creative activities.
