Samsung has announced a significant shift in how AI works on its smartphones, expanding Galaxy AI into what it calls a multi-agent ecosystem.
Rather than relying on a single assistant to handle every request, the new approach allows multiple AI agents to operate together at the system level. Galaxy AI acts as the coordinating layer, managing how these agents interact with each other and with apps on the device.
According to Samsung in the announcement, this change is driven by user behavior. Internal data suggests that a large majority of Galaxy users already depend on more than one AI tool in their daily routines, often switching between apps or repeating the same instructions.
By moving coordination into the operating system, Samsung aims to reduce this friction and make AI interactions feel more continuous and context-aware.
A central theme of the new strategy is flexibility.
Instead of positioning one assistant as the default solution for everything, Samsung’s framework allows different AI agents to specialize in different tasks. Some agents may focus on on-device actions like scheduling or file organization, while others handle research or real-time information. Samsung has also indicated that the ecosystem is open, suggesting additional third-party AI partners could be integrated in the future.
The first external AI agent to join this ecosystem is Perplexity.
On upcoming flagship Galaxy devices, Perplexity is integrated at the system level rather than operating as a standalone app. Users can summon Perplexity simply by saying "Hey Plex" or by pressing and holding the side button for quick access. And because it's baked into the operating system, the AI can access context from several Samsung apps, including Notes, Gallery, Calendar, Clock, and Reminders.
This deeper integration allows Perplexity to support multi-step tasks without forcing users to manually switch between apps.
For example, information retrieved through a query can be saved directly into notes, turned into reminders, or used to create calendar events. Samsung describes this as a way to move from simple question-and-answer interactions toward more practical, action-oriented workflows.
The multi-agent Galaxy AI experience is expected to debut on the Galaxy S26 series, where Samsung plans to demonstrate how first-party tools like Bixby and third-party agents such as Perplexity can work together.
Samsung has also suggested that Bixby itself will continue to evolve, becoming more conversational and better at delegating tasks to other AI agents when appropriate.
Overall, Samsung’s expansion of Galaxy AI reflects a broader shift in how AI is being embedded into consumer devices.
Instead of competing assistants operating in isolation, the company is betting on a coordinated system where multiple AI agents collaborate in the background. If adopted more widely, this model could influence how users interact with AI on smartphones, making it less about choosing the "right" assistant and more about seamless task completion.
In other words, Samsung wants to be a place where existing agents can work together, without having to replace them. Samsung positions this as a way to provide greater user choice.
"We've been committed to building an open and inclusive integrated AI ecosystem that gives users more choice, flexibility and control to get complex tasks done quickly and easily," Won-Joon Choi, Samsung's President and COO of Mobile eXperience, said.
The announcement came on February 21, 2026, just days before the Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for February 25, where further details on the Galaxy S26 series, One UI 8.5, and exact rollout plans are expected.
Samsung has indicated that more information on supported devices beyond the initial flagships, along with potential broader availability, will follow soon. This development reflects a shift toward more modular AI experiences on mobile hardware, aligning with observed user patterns of combining different AI capabilities.