LG Electronics (LG) is unveiling the LG ThinQ ON AI home hub featuring ‘Affectionate Intelligence’ at IFA 2024 in Berlin, Germany from September 6-10.

The hub provides connectivity and expandability, positioning itself as the centrepiece of the smart home ecosystem, where LG appliances and ‘empathetic’ AI work in unison to deliver customised comfort, care, and convenience.

The AI home hub connects with compatible appliances and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, making it easy to configure and enjoy a personalised AI-powered home. Powered by the unique LG ‘Affectionate Intelligence’, the ThinQ ON continuously learns individual usage patterns and broader usage trends to tailor daily experiences.

Compact and lightweight, LG ThinQ ON features a cylindrical form factor and a muted colour palette to blend with any décor. The device is equipped with an AI speaker that facilitates conversations with the LG AI voice assistant and lets users listen to audio content.

The ThinQ ON allows users to control AI appliances with spoken commands or requests delivered in a natural and conversational manner. In addition to comprehending everyday language, the LG AI home hub can understand the context of conversations and determine user preferences for each connected appliance, IoT device and service.

In addition, the ThinQ ON autonomously monitors elements within the smart home ecosystem, informing users when a task is completed – for example, the washer has finished a cycle or if any issue had been detected. ThinQ ON also makes it possible to check or change appliance settings.

LG ThinQ ON is Matter-certified and supports various network connectivity options, including Wi-Fi and Thread, for easy set-up and a seamless smart home experience. The device is compatible with a range of LG innovations and a growing number of appliances and IoT devices from other manufacturers.

To further enhance the connectivity of the ThinQ ON, LG acquired smart home platform company, Athom in July 2024. Athom’s flagship smart hub, Homey Pro, can connect to over 50,000 devices. The Homey app store features around 1,000 applications for connecting and controlling products from various global brands.

The ThinQ ON utilises LG Shield, the company’s proprietary security system, to protect customer data from collection and storage to usage. LG Shield encrypts user data and securely stores it in a separate server.

“An AI voice assistant and hub that serves as the centre of the smart home, ThinQ ON brings us significantly closer to realising our vision of the ‘Zero Labour Home’. LG aims to make the ‘AI Home Lifestyle’ accessible to everyone, and will continue to deliver customised comfort, care and convenience through its ‘Affectionate Intelligence’ solutions,” LG Electronics president of home appliance and air solution company, Lyu Jae-cheol said.