Samsung SDS’s Shin Da Som Tops Company Popularity Poll: Who Is She?

Samsung SDS celebrated April Fools’ Day by holding an AI popularity poll on its official Instagram

Samsung SDS, an affiliate of Samsung Electronics, held a unique April Fools’ Day event.

“Three mentors, three styles at Samsung SDS. Please comment on the photo you like the most!” was posted on the official Instagram of Samsung SDS. The initial confusion over the popularity poll among employees was soon clarified upon noticing the word “AI” tagged, indicating the characters were virtual. This was a surprise event prepared by Samsung SDS for April Fools’ Day.

On April 1, Samsung SDS posted on its official Instagram about conducting an employee popularity poll. The candidates were all characters appearing in Samsung SDS’s newsletter, reborn as human-like figures using image-generation AI for April Fools’ Day.

As Samsung SDS announced the full-scale launch of its AI business this year, the April Fools’ Day content is predominantly evaluated as a display of Samsung SDS’s wit and sense.

The three individuals revealed through Samsung SDS’s official Instagram account are virtual characters from the company’s newsletter, SDSletter.

For April Fools’ Day, unlike their usual flat images, the communications team at Samsung SDS brought these characters to life as AI humans using the image-generating AI service Lasko.

The characters introduced on Instagram include Seo Du Seok, the backbone of SDSletter, junior employee Shin Da Som, and Seong Dong Soo. Seo Du Seok is 34, has a warm heart and a cool head, and is an energetic ENFP.

Junior employee Shin Da Som, described as having a strategic and logical thinking style, plays a key role in summarizing core content for SDSletter as an INTJ. Seong Dong Soo is the charismatic leader of SDSletter, who seems to be a senior charm but is a dad joke enthusiast.

Samsung SDS shared photos of these characters and detailed their personalities and human characteristics, encouraging followers to engage deeply with the popularity poll.

So far, Shin Da Som’s photo has received the most comments and likes. Seong Dong Soo, identified as the leader of SDSletter, has had the least response so far.

Recently, virtual influencers created by companies have been gaining popularity, with one virtual model from Japan reportedly earning over $600,000 a year. This model, Imma, was selected as a model for the IKEA Harajuku store in Japan.

Imma enjoys popularity comparable to celebrities, and there’s growing interest in whether Shin Da Som’s popularity in Samsung SDS’s poll could also positively impact the company.

Samsung SDS stated, “This April Fools’ Day content was prepared for followers curious about the real appearances of the three, aiming to make our communication channels more approachable to subscribers.”

Furthermore, Samsung SDS is reportedly launching two AI services soon, intensifying its focus on AI. These services are expected to be FabriX, a platform fabric supporting easier adoption of generative AI, and Briti Copilot, an AI assistant that enhances work efficiency.

Briti Copilot, an AI assistant service, can be customized with the large language models (LLM) demanded by companies and installed as a private cloud on the company’s internal or data center servers. This marks a differentiation from Microsoft’s Copilot service.

At CES 2024 in Las Vegas earlier this year, Samsung SDS showcased FabriX and Briti Copilot. With the domestic market nearing launch, Samsung SDS officials have mentioned that external proof of concept (OPC) is currently underway.

Experts have a positive outlook on Samsung SDS’s performance this year. According to Daol Investment & Securities, Samsung SDS’s Q1 results are expected to meet expectations with “sales of $2.75 billion and operating profit of $186 million”.

However, excluding one-time profit factors, the consolidated operating profit is expected to slightly miss expectations at $172 million. Nonetheless, experts maintain a buy recommendation for Samsung SDS’s investment.

As Samsung SDS gears up for the launch of its AI services, there’s keen interest in whether this will become a significant factor influencing stock price increases.