A Bad Update Made Samsung’s A.I. Fridges Stop Cooling
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A refrigerator has exactly one job, and a software update just made Samsung’s A.I. fridges forget it. In South Korea, numerous Bespoke AI units shut down completely after a faulty update: no display, no light, no cooling. And it happened right before Chuseok, the big Korean harvest festival when families fill their fridges with holiday food, as the Korea JoongAng Daily reports.
A Test File Instead of an Update
The cause is almost embarrassing: Samsung accidentally pushed an internal test version of its software to customers through its SmartThings smart home platform. According to the newspaper, the affected models are the RM70F and RM80F four-door refrigerators from the Bespoke AI line. Samsung is still determining how many units failed.
The update went out on a Tuesday afternoon, and complaints piled up in Samsung’s community forum that same evening. The next morning, the company posted an official notice, halted the update and set up an emergency response team. “We are doing everything we can to minimize inconvenience to customers during Chuseok,” Samsung said. Repairs are free, and Samsung is sending technicians to affected customers.
Dry Ice Instead of a Holiday Feast
For many households, the timing could not have been worse. According to TechRadar, affected customers turned to dry ice and coolers because neither resets nor other workarounds helped. Whether Samsung will pay for spoiled food is still open. The company is reviewing compensation but concedes that losses, especially for homemade dishes, are hard to verify.
European customers can breathe easy: according to TechRadar, only South Korea was affected. Samsung stopped the faulty update before it reached devices in other countries.
The Risk of Connected Appliances
The incident shows how dependent smart appliances are on their makers’ software. A conventional fridge keeps cooling until the compressor gives out. A connected fridge, by contrast, receives regular updates over the internet, and a single mistake at the manufacturer can knock out thousands of devices at once. Users have little control, since many updates install automatically in the background.
Samsung is not alone in connecting its appliances. LG runs its home appliances through its ThinQ platform, while Bosch and Siemens rely on Home Connect. They all promise more convenience, from shopping lists to camera views inside the fridge to energy-saving features. Samsung’s mishap is a reminder that these features are extras. A fridge should still be able to keep food cold when its software fails.
