Samsung confirms faulty update bricked its smart refrigerators, promises an emergency fix

Facepalm: Samsung's Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerators are equipped with a Google Gemini-powered "AI Vision" feature that can recognize grocery items and suggest recipes based on what's available. Many of these smart fridges stopped working earlier this week following a buggy firmware update.

According to Seoul Shinmun, people across South Korea are reporting that their Samsung smart fridges stopped functioning after installing an over-the-air update through the company's SmartThings app earlier this week.

Following the update, the refrigerators lost power, went offline, and displayed an update-related error message on their built-in touchscreens.

The report cited multiple complaints posted on Samsung's official community forums in South Korea, with many saying they had purchased their fridges just months earlier. Some also reported having to throw away large quantities of food after it began to spoil when their refrigerators lost power. It's unclear how widespread the problem is or whether users in other countries have also been affected.

Users are especially upset that the incident happened during Chuseok, a major Korean autumn harvest festival and three-day national holiday dedicated to giving thanks and honoring ancestors. Millions of South Koreans travel back to their hometowns for Chuseok and stock up on fresh produce to share with friends and family during the holiday.

One disgruntled user lamented that all the food they bought for the festivities had spoiled after their fridge lost power. "Today, I had to throw away 20kg of food. How do I spend the holidays (like this)?" they asked. Others expressed anger that so many people had their Chuseok ruined because of the faulty update, while "Samsung employees are just having a good time at home."

Samsung has acknowledged the issue, claiming that the problem occurred because the update was accidentally released prematurely during a test earlier this week. The company said it stopped distributing the faulty firmware after realizing its mistake and promised to roll out a fix on an emergency basis. Samsung is also reportedly considering monetary compensation for affected users.

While AI-infused smart home devices may sound like a good idea to some, others believe that modern appliances are already complex enough without having to worry about problematic software updates and DDoS attacks, problems people already deal with regularly on their smartphones and computers.

Many consumers have been suffering from AI fatigue as electronics manufacturers add artificial intelligence to their products regardless of whether they actually need it. From refrigerators to microwaves, and from toothbrushes to toilets, almost nothing seems safe from unnecessary AI integration circa 2026.