At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, artificial intelligence was everywhere, from robot assistants to smart appliances, but not all of it impressed. A panel of consumer advocates and privacy experts handed out “Worst in Show” anti-awards to products they deemed invasive, unreliable, or wasteful, drawing attention to broader concerns over unnecessary AI in everyday technology, according to The Associated Press.
The overall “Worst in Show” distinction went to Samsung’s Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator. Judges said the fridge’s voice-command features, such as telling it to open or close the door, struggled to work in noisy environments and added complexity to what should be a simple appliance. The unit also utilizes computer vision to track food items and suggest replacements, a feature that critics have called intrusive and of limited practical value.
Privacy advocates singled out new AI enhancements for Amazon’s Ring doorbell cameras, saying the additions lean into surveillance rather than safety. These features include “AI Unusual Event Alerts” and facial-recognition elements that could extend monitoring beyond what consumers expect from home security systems.
The panel’s People’s Choice for worst product went to an AI companion device called Ami from Lepro. Marketed as a sort of emotional support companion with eye-tracking and emotional-recognition functions, critics argued it crosses into constant observation with little clear benefit.
Other dubious entries included a musical lollipop that cannot be recharged or reused, which was criticized for environmental waste, and Merach’s AI-driven treadmill, which raised security and biometric-data-collection concerns. Bosch earned anti-awards for adding AI and subscription features to a coffee maker and for e-bike systems that critics said restrict repairability.
These “Worst in Show” picks highlight tensions at the tech industry’s biggest trade event: innovations that wrap AI in bold marketing can also spark sharper scrutiny over privacy, genuine usefulness, energy use, and whether added intelligence truly serves consumers.