AI was everywhere at CES 2026, here are 9 pointless uses of it

From hologram assistants to an AI shower (yes, really).

One look at the show floor at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) should make it very clear that artificial intelligence is not going anywhere. Everywhere you turned, there was another company adding artificial intelligence (AI) to something that either didn't need it or didn't need to exist in the first place.

And while it wasn't a surprise, it was a bit deflating. After spending three days at CES, I was able to see and try the products that will be ushering in the future of artificial intelligence. And, in hindsight, I'm just not impressed at all. So many companies are using AI to cut out physical activity and human interaction that I can almost see the slow-motion slide into Wall-E-style hoverchairs the world will be using before too long.

While we could simply give in to our AI future, we should instead really think about what products actually need the technology. If you think long and hard about it, most of them don't. And if you need proof of that, here are the nine most useless examples of AI I found on display at CES.

AI-powered home sauna

Home saunas are nothing new. They've been prizes on The Price is Right since I was a kid. That said, Ceragem's AI-powered sauna is the exact kind of pointless product nobody needs. While the sauna guesses your biometric information, an AI-powered "mental coach" will provide you with "stress support and guidance in complete privacy."

That all sounds great until AI starts giving you guidance on how to deal with your stress. Those are the sorts of things you should be talking to real people about.

AI-powered robots

If there's one AI product that outnumbers hologram assistants at CES, it's robots. There were dancing robots, butler robots, cleaning robots, shelf-stocking robots, and even selfie-taking robots. Basically, if it's something a person can do, there's a robot for it. Seeing people gather around to watch a dance performance by a robot elicits a strange feeling, as art is replaced with coding and terrible dance moves. These things can't even properly do the Robot.

AI-powered hologram assistants

The hologram assistant was all the rage at CES this year, with several companies offering their own variations on the project. Razer's Project AVA is a small device that sits on your desk. You can customize how it looks, but the default model certainly looked like something labeled "Anime Girl 9." Her name is Kira. The companion can be a male or female model — there are five to choose from — and they can help answer just about any questions you have, as they pull their information directly from the AI service of your choice.

Project AVA is a fun gimmick. However, like all of the other hologram-centric innovations, it's little more than that. What's scary about that is AVA was the smallest of these assistants I saw. Companies like Hypervsn are producing life-size and bigger hologram assistants. Some of these units are big enough to take up a large corner of the room. (It reminded me of the size of a Dave & Buster's arcade game.)

Ultimately, these devices aim to sidestep or replace human interaction. It's not a surprise that the holographic banner above the Hypervsn booth read "AI Humans," but that's certainly not something we need. Besides, they're not even really holograms. These are all those fan-based holograms that you can find at just about any tourist trap, just on a much larger scale.

AI-powered lawnmower

I wish I could say I'm surprised, but in a world where so many of us rely on robot vacuums, a robot lawnmower almost makes sense. Sure, putting artificial intelligence inside of something with that many blades and letting it run free sounds like a bad idea. In theory, the AI-powered camera will help the mower avoid things like garden hoses and living animals. According to manufacturer EcoVacs, that camera will help avoid over 200 kinds of items on your lawn.

AI-powered dinosaurs

Would having your own tiny triceratops be incredibly cool? Yes. Does it serve any purpose whatsoever? Absolutely not. Robotics company Dorobot brought its first AI-powered robotic pet, Rover X1, to the show and let people interact with it. The clear star of their booth, though, was the miniature robotic dinosaur that was wandering around. It's unclear if this is merely a skin for the Rover X1, or a new product entirely. That said, it doesn't matter. As useless as this thing is, it's something we all deserve to own.

AI-powered air conditioner

Remember thermostats? They are those little panels in your home that control the heating and air conditioning. They're pretty simple, able to display current temperatures and adjust as needed. There's obviously no need to add AI to something that has worked for hundreds of years.

Yet, Chinese electronics and appliances company Chanchong is all in on AI in its products. According to the company, among the things AI helps the air conditioner do is retain a stable temperature while also learning user habits. Of course, that's what thermostats already do. They maintain whatever temperature you set and can be programmed to change the settings based on time of day and user preferences.

AI-powered tennis opponent

Something about this one made me chuckle. Of all the problems technology could or should be solving, I don't think a proper tennis opponent was anywhere on the list. The Acemate tennis robot is more than a simple ball return. It moves around the court, catches and fires back balls, and offers AI-powered coaching, feedback, and data insights. This is basically an AI robot for Serena Williams, but she would have no use for it. Do yourself a favor and just grab a racket and head to the park instead. It'll certainly cost you less than $2,500.

AI-powered shower

Lastly, there's this piece of bathroom hardware. The AI-powered Rejuvenation shower system from Ceragem doesn't have any cameras but uses a "smart mirror equipped with near-infrared and spectral sensors." With that mirror, it scans your face to determine levels of hydration, pigmentation, and elasticity, altering the water's pH as a result. The shower will also dispense vitamins and skincare ingredients, tailored to the user. There is no doubt that this sounds like a unique experience. Why would most people need this, though? And why would anyone want to invite AI to join them while they’re naked and wet?

This was my first visit to CES, after years of hearing about all the exciting technology of the future that gets put on display. Now, looking back, it was more scary than anything else. The future of technology is artificial intelligence, for now. We can all hope it'll be a fad, but at the rate these products are coming out, that glimmer of hope is shrinking. But, hey, at least I'll have a cool anime girl hologram on my desk telling me my Fortnite loadout sucks.