‘I can’t believe it’s already broken’: Samsung customers are complaining to the company over spoiled food after an update bricked AI smart fridges

In a bizarre turn of events reminiscent of the 1927 silent film The Electric House, Samsung customers are reporting their smart refrigerators have become inoperable following a recent firmware update. The malfunction, which has plagued certain Bespoke AI 4-Door refrigerator models released in or after 2024, has left customers facing spoiled food and mounting frustration during the Korean holiday of Chuseok.

According to Samsung's online community forums, the issue began on Tuesday and Wednesday when users experienced their refrigerators becoming offline, with lights failing to illuminate and cooling/freezing functions ceasing to operate. One distraught user, expressing disbelief at the appliance's sudden breakdown, lamented that their meat and other perishables were on the verge of spoiling. They questioned the timeline for a resolution and compensation, emphasizing they had purchased the refrigerator only months prior.

The setback follows a string of customer grievances against Samsung's smart home technology, including complaints about intrusive ads displayed on the refrigerators' screens. The current update appears to have targeted the Bespoke AI 4-Door series, coinciding with the Chuseok holiday, which traditionally involves the preparation of a family's favorite meal. One user expressed concern that service technicians would only be able to arrive post-holiday, potentially after the food had spoiled.

Samsung has acknowledged the outage, stating they are prioritizing emergency measures to resolve the issue before the holiday period. A moderator on the online forum confirmed that an error occurred during the software update's testing phase, causing abnormal symptoms in some refrigerators' power and display systems. The company has pledged to take "emergency measures as a top priority" to prevent further customer losses.