Samsung Display set a goal to shift research and development (R&D) and all of manufacturing to an AI-centered model to quickly develop and stably mass-produce the next-generation displays needed in the AI era. It plans to use a "Digital Twin," which implements an actual production line in a virtual space, to shorten the time for material and product development and to raise Production yield and production efficiency. The ultimate goal is "implementing an autonomous factory" that learns and improves on its own by combining AI and the Digital Twin.
As the scope of AI applications expands from smartphones to automobiles, Extended Reality (XR), and healthcare, the forms and functions required of displays are becoming more complex. Samsung Display believes it can respond quickly to such market changes only by innovating both product technology and the way products are developed and manufactured.
Noh Cheol-rae, head of the AX Research Center (executive vice president) at Samsung Display, delivered a keynote speech on "Displays in the AX era" at the "Display Business Forum 2026," a side event of the "K-Display 2026," held at Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 22nd.
He said, "No matter how much AI advances, people need displays to see, understand, and use it," adding, "A display is a key interface where technology and people meet, beyond just a screen." He continued, "The more AI becomes personalized, the more displays must also evolve to fit users' situations, preferences, and needs."
◇ "Autonomous factory" to speed next-gen technology development and boost production efficiency
Noh said Samsung Display is transforming the entire process from R&D to manufacturing to rapidly develop and produce products needed in the AI era. It has expanded AI's application scope from R&D such as materials and structural design to manufacturing and office work, and plans to advance to an autonomous factory stage that consolidates the digital thread and the Digital Twin.
In the R&D process, it built a system in which AI analyzes material data and physical properties to present promising organic light-emitting diode (OLED) materials. It automatically optimizes OLED stack structures and panel circuit designs, and combines AI with computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulations to cut the time required for repetitive experiments.
Noh said, "In the past, we had to repeat many experiments to develop new materials and structures, but now AI analyzes vast amounts of data and first proposes candidates with high potential," adding, "AI does not replace researchers; it helps them search faster and make better decisions."
On the production floor, it is establishing a system in which AI analyzes manufacturing data in real time to predict defects and equipment abnormalities and to optimize process conditions and logistics. It plans to combine the "digital thread," which consolidates design, engineering, production, and operation data into one, with the Digital Twin, which reflects the actual factory state in virtual space.
Noh said, "A Digital Twin is not a simple three-dimensional (3D) model but a virtual factory that continuously reflects actual manufacturing conditions," adding, "Before changing a production line, we can test multiple scenarios in virtual space and predict and optimize outcomes."
Accurate Digital Twins require reliable process data. Samsung Display is applying new sensors that measure optical spectra, plasma emission, acoustics, and static electricity in environments that are difficult to measure directly, such as inside vacuum chambers. Values that cannot be measured directly are supplemented by predicting them with AI-based virtual metrology.
In the autonomous factory envisioned by Samsung Display, AI predicts process outcomes, controls equipment, diagnoses abnormalities, and then reapplies optimal process conditions. By repeating this cycle, the factory learns on its own and improves how it produces. Noh said, "An autonomous factory is not a simple automated production facility; it is a factory that continuously learns, adapts, and improves on its own," adding, "By combining AI, the Digital Twin, and virtual metrology, we will implement a more intelligent, stable, and efficient manufacturing environment."
◇ From form factor to sensors: display strategy for the AI era is "OPEN"
Noh said Samsung Display is evolving its products for the AI era alongside innovations in development and manufacturing. He summarized and presented the direction of display technology in the AI era as "OPEN": responding to market changes through ▲ Optimized form factors for each device (Optimized) ▲ Privacy protection (Private) ▲ Low power and high image quality (Efficient) ▲ Next-generation innovation (Next).
As the representative technology for optimized form factors, Noh introduced the foldable OLED brand "MONT FLEX," saying, "It is not a simple foldable display but a flexible platform for next-generation AI devices." MONT stands for Mechanically Durable, Opto-mechanically Flat, Narrow Bezel Enabling, and Thin and Light.
For privacy protection, it presented "Flex Magic Pixel (FMP)," a panel-integrated privacy technology. With a multi-shielding structure, it controls light leakage to the side so the screen appears clear from the front but content is not visible from the side. In vehicles, it can be used so a driver and a passenger use one screen while viewing different information.
In low power and high image quality, it introduced ▲ "LEAD," an OLED technology without a polarizer ▲ adaptive frequency technology that adjusts the refresh rate according to content ▲ "QD-OLED Penta Tandem," which stacks five blue emitting layers. Noh said, "Each technology is different, but the goal is the same: to deliver better performance with less power."
For next-generation products, it presented ▲ RGB OLEDoS with peak brightness of 40,000 nits ▲ in-vehicle micro-LED that stretches up to 25% ▲ sensor OLED that measures biometric information. Sensor OLED is a technology that measures heart rate and blood pressure on the screen by combining an organic photodiode (OPD) within the panel.
Noh said, "Displays are evolving from output devices that show information into intelligent platforms that understand users," adding, "Samsung Display's goal is to make better displays by combining display innovation, manufacturing innovation, and AI."