[Berlin = E-Daily Reporter JAEMIN SONG ] LGELECTRONICS will officially launch “ThinQ Claw,” an artificial intelligence (AI) home agent that allows users to communicate with home appliances via messaging apps such as KakaoTalk and activate desired functions, before the end of the year. The company is also exploring commerce partnerships—ranging from recipe recommendations to grocery shopping—as well as subscription-based services.

Noh Beom-jun, Senior Vice President in charge of AI Home Solution Business Development at LGELECTRONICS HS, stated at the “IFA 2026” tech briefing held in Berlin, Germany, on the 4th (local time), “We are currently conducting a proof of concept (PoC) and internal and external beta testing for ThinQ Clo,” adding, “We are preparing with the goal of officially launching it by the end of the year.”

ThinQ Clow is an AI agent that combines and activates home appliances, spaces, and external services connected to the AI home hub “ThinQ On” to suit the user’s situation. Rather than being a product that creates a separate network, it acts as the “brain” that operates within the ecosystem established by ThinQ On to meet the user’s needs.

For example, if a user sends a message via KakaoTalk from outside the home saying, “I’m on my way home,” the system will ask whether to pre-activate the air conditioner and air purifier by analyzing the user’s current location, the estimated travel time to home, and their usual preferred indoor temperature. It can also check a child’s school vacation schedule to adjust daytime cooling and cleaning schedules, analyze photos of supermarket flyers to recommend dinner menus, and then send cooking instructions to the oven.

LGELECTRONICS is currently testing the service via KakaoTalk and Telegram. Going forward, the company plans to add messaging apps with high usage rates in each country, enabling users to control the AI Home via voice commands while at home and via chat while away.

Executive Vice President Noh said, “We are expanding the interface so that customers can communicate with their homes even when they’re away—not through a separate app, but via platforms they already use frequently and spend a lot of time on.” He added, “We don’t expect all 10 attempts to succeed, but we’ll test them quickly and scale up in markets and channels where actual value has been confirmed.”

Extending to Grocery Shopping… Exploring Revenue Models

LGELECTRONICS is also conceptualizing a business model utilizing ThinQ Clow. This approach involves the AI recommending recipes, identifying missing ingredients, suggesting purchases, and connecting users to a commerce platform.

Executive Vice President Noh explained, “Through partnerships with commerce platforms, we are considering business models that ensure profitability not only for LGELECTRONICS but also for partners sharing the same ecosystem,” adding, “We are reviewing various formats, such as subscription models or home packages bundled with ThinQ On.” He continued, “We will determine specific models after identifying which features customers find truly valuable and use frequently.”

The company is also applying the “Human in the Loop” principle to prevent AI from operating home appliances contrary to the user’s intentions. Under this approach, the AI first suggests necessary actions, which are then executed only after the user approves them. However, functions used repeatedly—such as turning on the air conditioning before returning home—can be executed automatically without an approval process if the user wishes.

Executive Vice President Noh stated, “We designed the system so that if a user says, ‘Don’t ask me next time—just do it,’ it will remember that conversation and execute the action immediately in the same situation,” adding, “For tasks requiring additional confirmation—such as suggesting a menu or sending a cooking program to the oven—the system will seek the user’s approval.”

Compatibility is not limited to LGELECTRONICS products. ThinQ On incorporates “Homey” technology from Athom, a Dutch smart home platform company acquired by LGELECTRONICS. Home appliances and Internet of Things (IoT) devices from other companies that support communication standards such as Matter, Zigbee, and Thread can also be included within ThinQ Clo’s control scope.

Executive Vice President Noh explained, “Since real-world homes don’t consist solely of LGELECTRONICS products, we are expanding our ecosystem to connect a wide variety of home appliances and devices,” adding, “Devices connected to ThinQ can be considered part of the scope of agents operated by ThinQ Clow.”

Personal schedules and lifestyle information are linked to external services only with the user’s consent. Collected information is anonymized so it cannot be directly linked to an individual, and LG Corp.’s proprietary security system, “LG Shield,” is applied from the chip and hardware levels all the way through the product verification stage.

There are no immediate plans to directly apply the experience gained from ThinQ Clow to the home humanoid robot “LG Cloid.” However, the know-how gained from understanding what customers request within their homes and which suggestions they accept can be utilized in future robot and home appliance development.

Executive Director Noh stated, “We are not currently considering linking ThinQ Clo and Cloi,” but added, “The know-how of creating personalized services based on data obtained from customers and their living spaces can be incorporated into various products, so it’s not entirely a different endeavor.”