What is Agentic AI? Samsung outlines its vision for more predictive mobile experiences

Samsung is signalling a shift in its mobile strategy, moving away from reactive AI tools toward a new era of Agentic AI. This transition comes as the company reports strong global momentum for its latest flagship, the Galaxy S26 series, which has reportedly surpassed 1.3 million pre-orders globally.

According to Mr Charles Kim, the President of Samsung Malaysia Electronics, this shift reflects a bigger change in how users interact with technology, moving from systems that simply respond to prompts to those that actively anticipate needs and understand context.

Beyond Prompts: Defining Agentic AI

While the first wave of mobile AI (Generative AI) focused on specific tasks like photo editing or live translation, Agentic AI represents a move toward autonomy. In a general technical sense, an agentic system does not just wait for a command; it understands a high-level goal and determines the steps needed to achieve it.

Samsung claims its implementation of Galaxy AI is evolving from a collection of tools into an intelligent system that learns user routines and surfaces relevant information at the right moment. To illustrate the difference:

• Reactive AI (Standard): A user asks the phone to Translate this email or Circle to search. The AI performs a single, isolated task upon request.
• Agentic AI (The Evolution): The system might recognise you have a flight in three hours, observe heavy traffic on your usual route, and automatically surface your boarding pass while nudging you to leave earlier than planned.

To facilitate this, the Galaxy S26 series introduces several new software experiences:

• Now Nudge: A feature designed to provide proactive assistance and reduce friction in everyday tasks.
• Now Brief and Now Bar: New interfaces aimed at delivering contextual information and summaries seamlessly throughout the day.

Growth in the Malaysian Market

For the local market, Kim highlights that Malaysia’s digital nation status makes it a prime environment for AI adoption. The company suggests that these predictive tools will empower a wide range of users, from students exploring new ways to learn to professionals navigating increasingly digital workplaces.

Despite the move toward more autonomous systems, Samsung maintains that its approach remains human-centric. The brand emphasises that these advancements are built with a focus on security and ethics, ensuring users retain control over their privacy and choices.

New Leadership at the Helm

The push into this Agentic AI era follows a leadership change at Samsung Malaysia Electronics. Charles Kim was appointed President in December 2024, bringing over two decades of experience from roles in Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and New Zealand.

Kim notes that Samsung intends to emulate Malaysia’s openness to innovation to shape how this new generation of technology is adopted and used to improve daily lives.