Image by Samsung
Samsung Confirms Summer Launch For AI Home Robot
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
Samsung’s home assistant robot Ballie will officially launch this summer in the United States and South Korea, the company confirmed this week.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Google’s Gemini AI enables real-time, multimodal interaction.
- Ballie supports voice, image, and environmental data processing.
- Tasks include reminders, home control, and wellbeing suggestions.
The ball-shaped robot, which has been in development since 2020, will now incorporate Google’s Gemini AI through a new partnership between Samsung and Google Cloud.
According to Samsung , the integration with Gemini will enable Ballie to process and respond to different types of input, including voice commands, images from its onboard camera, and data from environmental sensors, in real time. This could allow users to interact with the robot in a more natural and responsive way.
“Through this partnership, Samsung and Google Cloud are redefining the role of AI in the home,” said Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.
“By pairing Gemini’s powerful multimodal reasoning with Samsung’s AI capabilities in Ballie, we’re leveraging the power of open collaboration to unlock a new era of personalized AI companion — one that moves with users, anticipates their needs and interacts in more dynamic and meaningful ways than ever before,” he added.
Ballie is designed to do a number of things: it can turn lights on and off, welcome people at the door, remind people of things, and change the settings of the home. It also has features for wellbeing support – such as offering tips on energy levels or sleep, based on user input like “I feel tired today.”
Samsung says Ballie will be able to combine Gemini’s generative reasoning with its own language models to suggest context-aware responses. For example, it might recommend clothing or accessories when asked for style advice.
“With Gemini on Google Cloud, Samsung is demonstrating how to deploy generative AI at scale, integrating it directly into the heart of their popular products,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud.
The Verge notes that Ballie’s AI functions were first demonstrated at CES 2025, where it was shown projecting information on walls, identifying wine pairings, and responding to voice commands. The company has not yet provided a price or confirmed specific market availability beyond the U.S. and Korea.
Because Ballie relies on cloud-based AI processing through Google’s Gemini, any vulnerabilities in data transmission or storage could expose sensitive information. The camera images and conversation recordings from Ballie could potentially be stolen or misused by unauthorized parties without user consent.
The risk of model exploitation or prompt injection attacks which trigger unexpected behavior remains a concern for many AI-integrated devices. Samsung has not yet detailed what kind of encryption, data handling policies, or user controls will be in place for Ballie, though it says privacy and security are a priority.
As home robots gain more autonomy and decision-making capabilities, cybersecurity will likely become a key issue, not only for manufacturers, but for consumers looking to balance convenience with digital safety.
While companies including Apple, Meta, and LG are exploring home robotics, widespread adoption remains limited. Whether Ballie can establish a role for general-purpose home robots is yet to be seen, but its upcoming launch marks a step in that direction.
Image by DC Studio, from Freepik
FBI Ran Money-Laundering Operation To Trap Hackers
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
The FBI arrested one of the dark web’s most prolific money launderers—and then secretly took over his operation for nearly a year to catch other criminals, as reported in a detailed analysis by 404 Media .
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- FBI arrested dark web launderer ElonmuskWHM, real name Anurag Murarka.
- Agents ran his operation secretly for nearly a year post-arrest.
- Data dragnet included YouTube viewer IDs, raising privacy concerns.
The launderer went by the online name ElonmuskWHM, advertising anonymous cash delivery services to hackers and drug dealers via the now-defunct dark web site White House Market.
His service was simple: send cryptocurrency, and he’d mail you cash. No ID, no questions asked. He demanded a 20% fee for all dirty funds.
In 2023, the FBI finally arrested the man behind the name—Anurag Pramod Murarka, a 30-year-old Indian national. Authorities lured him into the U.S. by approving a visa application, said 404 Media.
But instead of shutting down the operation, they kept it running to identify and investigate Murarka’s clients, as reported by 404 Media. These included major drug traffickers and members of hacking groups, such as Scattered Spider , which caused millions in damage with attacks.
According to Gabrielle Dudgeon, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kentucky, criminals thought they were communicating with ElonmuskWHM. “The FBI then investigated the launderer’s customers, including drug traffickers and hackers,” he added, as reported by 404 Media
According to the analysis the laundering service was very active. Court records show that nearly $90 million in cryptocurrency flowed through it. Murarka bragged about making $30 million, bragging that he could move $1 million per week and operate across continents. He said he could deliver $100,000 in one day in the U.S. and said, “Fuck LE, fuck the LAW.”
404 Media reports that Murarka’s clients, many of them drug dealers and cybercriminals, used the service to avoid traditional crypto exchanges that require ID checks and cooperate with law enforcement.
The FBI didn’t just follow the money, 404 Media reports that they became the money. Investigators mailed and received cash inside children’s books and used the operation to identify individuals shipping packages from New York. One courier, referred to only as “Eric,” eventually cooperated with law enforcement.
To identify Murarka, the FBI even sent him YouTube videos and asked Google to hand over the data of everyone who watched them during a specific week. 404 Media notes that this aggressive data request, which some experts called unconstitutional, raised major privacy concerns.
