LAUREN: THE U.S. AND CHINA HAVE
GIVEN NO INDICATION OF THEIR
NEXT STEPS AFTER WRAPPING UP
TALKS AIMED AT RESOLVING THE
TARIFF STANDOFF, ALTHOUGH CHINA
AND THE U.S. SAY THEY WILL
REMAIN IN CLOSE CONTACT OVER THE
COMING DAYS.
THE TRADE WAR WAS A HOT TOPIC
OUT AT CES IN LAS VEGAS THIS
WEEK.
LIZ CLAMAN GOT TO TALK
EXCLUSIVELY WITH LG ELECTRONICS
PRESIDENT.
HE WAS A KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
THEY HAD TO HIKE ITS WASHING
MACHINE PRICES IN RESPONSE TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TARIFFS AND
SHE ASKED WHERE THE COMPANY
STANDS NOW.
LIZ: AS WE LOOK AT THE TARIFF
SITUATION, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT
THE CHINESE TARIFFS, I'M TALKING
ABOUT THE TARIFFS THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP SLAPPED ON FOREIGN-MADE
WASHING MACHINES AND DRYERS AND
ALL THE PARTS, THESE HAVE BEEN,
I'M SURE, AFFECTING YOUR SALES.
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABSORBING THAT
AND DEALING WITH IT?
>> SO WE ARE ALSO BUILDING
FACTORIES IN THE U.S. SO THAT WE
ARE NOT BARRIERED BY THOSE KIND
OF TARIFFS.
LIZ: THAT'S KIND OF WHAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS HOPING WOULD
HAPPEN.
>> BUT YOU KNOW, WE WANT OUR
BUSINESS GROWTH GLOBALLY SO
WHETHER WE DO THIS HERE OR DO
THIS ELSEWHERE, WE WANT TO GROW
OUR BUSINESS.
IF A NEW CONDITION ARRIVES, WE
WILL OVERCOME IT WITH DIFFERENT
TYPE OF EFFORTS.
LIZ: YOU HAVE AN OPERATION IN
TENNESSEE.
YOU ARE EMPLOYING A LOT OF
AMERICANS.
AND YOU ARE OPENING A MASSIVE
HEADQUARTERS IN ENGELWOOD
CLIFFS, NEW JERSEY.
I HAVE SEEN IT.
THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE 2,000
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS PUT TO WORK
THERE.
DOES IT BOTHER YOU THAT YOU GUYS
ARE EMPLOYING AMERICANS AND YET
YOU ARE BEING SLAPPED WITH THESE
ONEROUS TARIFFS ON ANYTHING YOU
IMPORT AS FAR AS WASHING
MACHINES ARE CONCERNED.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE
ADMINISTRATION?
>> WELL, AT THE END OF THE DAY,
BUSINESS IS BUSINESS AND THERE
ARE SOME TIMES GOVERNMENTS WILL
BE BENEFICIAL TO US, SOMETIMES
IT WILL PROVIDE HARDSHIP.
WE WILL OVERCOME ANY
DIFFICULTIES.
LIZ: APPLE WARNED LAST WEEK,
SAYING THE CHINESE CONSUMER FROM
WHERE APPLE STANDS IS SLOWING
DOWN POSSIBLY AS A BYPRODUCT OF
THE TARIFFS AND THE TRADE WARS
AND THE TENSIONS.
ARE YOU SEEING A SLOWDOWN WITH
YOUR CHINESE CONSUMERS WHO BUY
LG PRODUCTS?
>> WE HAVE SEEN SOME SLOWDOWN IN
RECENT YEARS BUT HOPEFULLY WE
WILL CATCH UP THIS YEAR.
LIZ: COULD YOU ATTRIBUTE IT TO
TRADE TENSIONS?
>> THERE ARE SOME TRADE TENSIONS
THAT COMES INTO PLAY BUT AS I
SAID BEFORE, BUSINESS IS
BUSINESS.
THERE'S GOING TO BE HARDSHIP,
THERE'S GOING TO BE GOOD DAYS
AND BAD DAYS.
WE ARE GOING TO OVERCOME ANY BAD
DAYS.
LIZ: SO TELL PEOPLE, TELL
VIEWERS, I SEE CHLOE OVER YOUR
SHOULDER HERE, WHAT IT MEANS TO
THEM AND THEIR DAILY LIVES.
WHAT DOES ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE REALLY END UP
MEANING IN THE APPLICATION OF
TODAY'S WORLD?
>> MANY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT A.I.
AND A.I. IS STILL IN MY OPINION,
STILL IN VERY INFANT STAGE.
PEOPLE THINK OF SMART SPEAKERS,
YOU TELL A COMMAND, IT RESPONDS
BACK.
WE WANT ULTIMATELY A.I. TO
REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN
SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUST
COMMAND IT AND IT WILL DO THINGS
FOR YOU, YOU SAY SOMETHING, IT
WILL UNDERSTAND YOU BECAUSE IT
KNOWS ABOUT YOU.
SO WE WANT ROBOTS TO REALLY
LEARN ABOUT PEOPLE SO IT CAN
REALLY INTERACT WITH PEOPLE JUST
LIKE YOU AND I ARE INTERACTING,
INSTEAD OF PIECE OF MACHINE
SITTING THERE WAITING FOR
COMMAND.
LIZ: YOU HAVE FIVE A.I. LABS
AROUND THE WORLD?
>> I BELIEVE SO, YEAH.
LIZ: CLEARLY, YOU GUYS ARE
HEAVILY INVESTED IN THIS.
WHERE DO YOU SEE IT EVENTUALLY
LEADING YOU?
BECAUSE NO OFFENSE TO CHLOE
RIGHT BEHIND YOU, BUT YOU HAVE
SCIENTISTS LIKE HAWKING AND MUSK
WHO ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW
A.I. COULD EVENTUALLY RUN AWAY
WITH THE POWER THAT HUMANS HAVE
RIGHT NOW.
>> I BELIEVE WE ARE STILL IN
CONTROL.
AS A CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
MANUFACTURER, WE THINK THIS
CURRENT STATE, WE HAVE A VERY
BIG OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY
REVOLUTIONIZE HELPING OUR
CUSTOMERS' LIVES WITH A.I. SO NO
LONGER WE'LL JUST SELL CONSUMER
ELECTRONIC DEVICE SO THAT PEOPLE
USE THEM.
WE WANT TO HELP THEIR LIVES.
LIZ: WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TO THE
BOOTH TO SEE THE 65-INCH TV THAT
IS RETRACTIBLE AND ROLLS UP
ALMOST LIKE A POSTER.
WHEN IS THAT GOING TO BE
AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THERE ARE A
LOT OF PEOPLE IN MANHATTAN WITH
LIMITED SPACE WHO ARE DYING TO
BUY THAT, I AM SURE.
>> WE SHOWCASED THIS THIS
MORNING WHICH MEANS IT WILL COME
OUT THIS YEAR.
LIZ: THIS YEAR?
>> YES.
LIZ: SECOND HALF, PERHAPS?
>> MAYBE.
I CANNOT GIVE YOU EXACT DATE.
IT WILL BE OUT THIS YEAR.
LIZ: YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF
EARLY BUMP ON THAT TV WHICH IS A
HARD THING TO DO, CONSIDERING
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PRODUCTS