LG’s AI-powered ‘smart’ washer tells you how to clean your clothes

LG isn’t even trying to hide it anymore. 

The South Korean electronics company known for its TVs, smartphones, and home robots (that don’t really work) has a soon-to-be-released AI-powered washing machine that loudly and clearly sends one particular message: LG doesn’t think too highly of its customers. 

The ThinQ Washer with AI, which CNET reports should be available for purchase in the U.S. sometime within the first two quarters of this year, purports to change the laundry game with its artificial intelligence system. And just what does this system do, you ask?

It determines what kind of cycle to run based on what type of materials are placed inside the machine. For the people who need even more help, the ThinQ Washer with AI can also “[discern] the softness of your laundry,” recognize how large the load is, and, if you really bought into LG’s bonkers vision of a smart-home future, recommend settings to its sister ThinQ dryer.

“Let the washer recommend the optimal wash cycle based on the clothes you’re cleaning,” reads an LG product page. 

In other words, gone are the days of having to select “cold” or “hot” depending on whether you’re cleaning your white sheets or blue jeans. No longer, my friends. That tedious and remedial task was for the pre-AI days. Instead, let the machine do it for you!

Oh yeah, and there are voice commands. 

“Operate the washing machine using conversation-based voice recognition technology,” LG helpfully explains. “Get pre-treatment tips via voice for your laundry depending on the type of stains such as inks or chocolate, etc.”

Notably, we don’t know how much this exemplar of what AI has to offer will cost, which also means we can’t price compare it to its non-artificially intelligent brethren. 

But that’s OK because the type of person that needs artificial intelligence to run a white load on hot probably isn’t going to think about checking prices in the first place.