The Worst of CES: AI takes the worst of these devices, according to experts

Saying that this year’s CES was shaped by artificial intelligence is a massive understatement. Every corner of the show unveiled new ideas that promised to make our lives more comfortable, safer, or more fun. But among so many good concepts, we also found examples of how AI can seriously complicate what used to be simple. That’s where the dubious honour comes in for some devices to receive the well-known “Worst in Show” awards, which point out the most questionable parts of the event and remind us that adding AI to products is not the same thing as improving them.

How the “Worst in Show” awards are chosen

Behind these awards is a group of consumer organisations, privacy experts, and right-to-repair advocates such as iFixit, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Consumer Reports, as reported by AP News. They are the ones who assess which devices worry them most in terms of privacy, security, environmental impact, or complexity, and they compare them with previous versions of the same device, if they exist, to see whether the new proposal truly adds anything positive.

According to the judges, the selected products represent trends that could spread if they aren’t corrected in time, and the goal of the award is to push manufacturers to improve rather than to shame them. A wake-up call that applies to everyone: innovation is welcome, but not at any cost.

And the award for the worst CES devices goes to…

This year, the “Worst in Show” list makes it clear that AI is being used more as a sales hook than as something that provides real utility. Let’s look at the products that stand out for all the wrong reasons.

• Samsung Bespoke AI Family Hub: Samsung’s famous smart fridge took the top prize. Among its features, it now lets us speak to open the door, track our food, and even show us ads for products we might be interested in. During the presentation, however, voice commands failed amid the ambient noise and the whole process was more complicated than practical.
• Amazon Ring with unusual event alerts: The new version of the camera doorbell adds facial recognition and alerts about unexpected situations, like a group of coyotes arriving in the neighbourhood. A good feature—if it weren’t for the fact that privacy groups saw it as a worrying step towards excessive surveillance.
• Ami, the desktop AI companion: Made by the company Lepro, this device is presented as a virtual friend that can keep us company during our remote working days. It takes the form of a female avatar on a curved screen and continuously monitors our eyes and tone of voice to respond empathetically. Although it includes a physical camera shutter, the idea of an always-on assistant monitoring us has caused quite a bit of discomfort.
• Lollipop Star, the musical candy: This lollipop turns our bites into music through bone conduction and plays various songs while we enjoy it. The key issue here is environmental: each stick is a disposable electronic device, with no option to recharge or reuse it.
• Merach AI Treadmill: The treadmill, connected to the internet with a virtual coach based on a language model, received the “Worst in Show” award for cybersecurity. The device collects our biometric and behavioural data, but its policy warns that it cannot guarantee the security of personal information. A reminder that AI and connectivity require us to pay very close attention to privacy.
• Bosch and its devices with digitally linked parts: Bosch received awards for two products: the coffee maker with Alexa as an assistant and a subscription for extra features, and the e-bike with components digitally tied to the official app. The judges fear these practices could make repairs harder and limit owners’ autonomy if they stop paying the subscription, even though the company says all additional functions are optional.

This year’s CES shows us more clearly than ever that AI has enormous potential, but it needs to be applied with purpose and respect for the complete experience of using products. When innovation adds barriers, privacy risks, or unnecessary waste, it stops being a help. We’re looking at a technology capable of transforming our day-to-day lives, but the real progress will come from how we apply it.