At IFA 2026 in Berlin, South Korea’s LG Electronics unveiled an expanded AI Home strategy that links appliances with living spaces and external services, positioning artificial intelligence as the orchestrator of day‑to‑day home management. Moving beyond device‑level features, the company’s platform is designed to understand routine patterns and autonomously suggest or carry out tasks across the home.
The showcase ran September 4–8 under the theme “Innovation in tune with you,” with LG operating roughly 3,745 square meters of exhibition space and displaying about 150 products. At the center were the next‑generation AI Home hub “ThinQ ON” and the “ThinQ” platform, presented in life‑like living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and outdoor settings to demonstrate integrated control of comfort, energy, and services.
Illustrations included a living room scenario where the system adjusted temperature and air quality based on arrival times and habits; a kitchen that proposed menus and cooking sequences after considering stored ingredients, family schedules, and dietary preferences; a bedroom that aligned lighting and air conditioning with upcoming plans and sleep conditions; and a bathroom that handled post‑shower ventilation and dehumidification.
LG introduced “ThinQ Claw,” an autonomous AI agent embedded in the hub that converses with users to grasp context and proactively trigger functions. Remote control through chat, along with links to external services such as web search and calendars, extends control beyond the home.
The company outlined a path from residences to commercial settings via “ThinQ Pro,” a business‑to‑business solution integrating appliances, HVAC, and energy systems in a single console. Athom’s “Homey” platform—acquired in 2024 and compatible with more than 50,000 IoT devices—supports broader interoperability. LG said it has expanded this into a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) by connecting AI appliances with HVAC, solar generation, and energy storage, with plans to target European multi‑family housing developers.
For Europe’s housing stock and usage patterns, LG debuted the “Fit & Max” line of refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers, emphasizing built‑in‑like styling and space efficiency. Highlights included a refrigerator door opening up to 110 degrees even when installed flush with cabinetry and a zero‑clearance hinge for tight spaces. Laundry products maintained the common European 600 mm cabinet depth while preserving capacity, alongside stacked WashTower units and a WashCombo that handles washing and drying in one appliance.
Energy performance featured prominently. LG presented a washing machine that it says reduces energy use by 70% beyond the EU’s top “A” rating, plus an A‑30% dishwasher and an A‑35% refrigerator. AI‑driven functions—“AI SenseClean” for assessing dish loads and soil, “AI Laundry” and “AI Dry” for fabric‑aware cycles, “AI Fresh” for adaptive cooling, and “AI Saving Mode” for power optimization—were also on display. For entertainment and premium kitchens, exhibits included the 83‑inch wireless wallpaper “LG Signature OLED W,” 2026‑series OLED evo AI and Micro RGB evo displays, a voice‑responsive refrigerator that recommends cooling modes, and a 30‑inch wall oven using “Gourmet AI” to identify ingredients and suggest cooking methods.
At the entrance, the “LG AI Orchestra” installation—featuring the LG CLOiD home robot, kinetic LEDs, and synchronized appliances—visualized the firm’s “Zero Labor Home” concept, where AI reduces household workloads. Nearly 46% of the booth was reserved for private meetings with retail and B2B partners in Europe. Baek Seung‑tae, vice president of LG’s Home Appliance & Air Solution Business Division, said the company aims to strengthen its competitiveness in the global premium appliance market by expanding the AI Home ecosystem.
IFA, one of Europe’s leading consumer electronics events, served as the stage for LG’s shift from stand‑alone AI features to a platform approach that spans devices, energy systems, and digital services—an approach tailored to efficiency‑minded European consumers and enterprise clients alike.
