“Hello LG, Please Prepare Water for Two Servings of Ramen”
LG Electronics has unveiled the LG Puricare AI Ice Water Dispenser, a cutting-edge appliance that not only dispenses water and ice through natural voice commands but also functions as an artificial intelligence (AI) home hub, capable of controlling various household devices.
LG Electronics announced on Thursday that the new AI Custom Dispensing feature analyzes four weeks of usage data to offer up to three personalized dispensing options based on the user’s preferred water temperature and quantity.
The Recipe function automatically dispenses the appropriate amount and temperature of water for ten different beverages and foods, including instant coffee, ground coffee, green tea, black tea, chamomile, rooibos, peppermint, barley tea, ramen, and baby formula. For example, simply saying, “I’d like a cup of cold green tea,” will prompt the dispenser to prepare it without any additional settings.
Gone are the days of repeatedly pressing buttons to adjust water volume and temperature. Even with food-soiled hands or for young children who struggle with buttons, desired functions can be executed using voice commands alone.
Saying “stop” during dispensing immediately halts the flow, preventing spills. However, for safety reasons, hot water dispensing requires an additional button press after the voice command.
This innovative product also serves as an AI home hub, enhancing kitchen convenience. When registered with the LG ThinQ app, users can control other appliances with voice commands like “Turn on the air conditioner” or “How much time is left on the washing machine?” Powered by a large language model (LLM), it also provides practical information such as top news stories and weather forecasts.
The LG Puricare AI Ice Water Dispenser’s voice recognition feature currently controls various LG appliances, including washing machines, dryers, robot vacuums, air conditioners, air purifiers, dehumidifiers, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers. Future updates will expand the range of controllable devices.
LG Electronics has maintained the rigorous hygiene standards of its existing Puricare water purifier series. The All-Puri filter system removes nine types of heavy metals and eliminates 99.9% of norovirus. A high-temperature sterilization function automatically sanitizes the internal stainless steel water pipe weekly. Additionally, ultraviolet (UV) nano sterilization technology keeps the dispensing and ice output areas clean.
The ice water dispenser’s convenience features have been significantly upgraded. A cup recognition sensor has been added to prevent accidental dispensing. If a voice command is given without a cup or container present, the dispenser will not release water or ice.
The front display has been enlarged from 4.3 inches to 6.8 inches, allowing users to easily access key functions, weather information, and energy monitoring data.
The new product is available through a subscription model, with a monthly fee of 53,900 KRW (about 36 USD) based on a six-year contract that includes biannual visits from a care manager. Subscribers benefit from complimentary after-sales service and regular hygiene maintenance, including filter replacements, high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization of water pipes and dispensing areas, ice storage compartment care, and thorough inspection of the ice output mechanism.
Kim Jae-il, head of LG Electronics’ Kitchen Solution Business Unit, stated that they’re committed to expanding the water purifier lineup to suit diverse living spaces and lifestyles, while leveraging artificial intelligence to deliver an increasingly convenient user experience.
In related news, LG Electronics has been named the top company in the home appliance and information technology (IT) sector for the 11th consecutive year in the National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI) survey. The company also secured the top spot in the Home Appliance Subscription category for the second year running, underscoring its service excellence in this emerging business model, where customers pay a monthly fee for appliance use and regular maintenance instead of purchasing products outright.