Samsung hints at new products as it bets on AI to drive upgrades to its latest foldable phones

In a swanky downtown Paris hotel, Samsung Electronics' mobile boss sat behind a suite of the tech giant's latest products, ranging from foldable smartphones to the brand new smart ring — underscoring how the South Korean firm is looking to lock customers into its world of products to drive sales.

TM Roh is the man tasked with bringing Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker, into the artificial intelligence era.

In a wide-ranging interview with CNBC at that Paris hotel earlier this month, Roh laid out Samsung's vision for Galaxy AI, its suite of artificial intelligence features, how the company is thinking about making money off software and about future products, such as mixed reality headsets.

Roh spoke to CNBC ahead of the company's Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, where the company took the wraps off of its new smartwatches, foldable smartphones and the Galaxy Ring — Samsung's first foray into smart rings.

Samsung is riding a wave of interest in its smartphones, sparked by the launch of the high-end S24 range in January and by the company's marketing around its artificial intelligence offerings it calls Galaxy AI.

These include features like interpreter, which can translate spoken language between two people, and the Notes app that can record audio, transcribe and summarize what has been said or noted down.

AI has become the key focus for Samsung this year, as the firm looks to drive sales to its premium handsets at a time when consumers are holding onto their phones for longer and remain cautious on spending.

"We are reinforcing and bringing more AI capabilities to our products. As consumers use more AI capabilities, they can actually feel the convenience and benefits they bring," Roh told CNBC in Korean translated by