By Roselyne Min
Publication Date: 2026-01-10 06:00:00
Barely a week into January, artificial intelligence (AI) is already the defining feature of this year’s consumer technology landscape.
At CES 2026At the annual gadget trade show that ended Friday in Las Vegas, AI was everywhere. But critics and consumer advocates doubt that too many products are labeled as “smart” without good reason.
“Worst in Show” is an annual competition that highlights what organizers consider to be the most wasteful technology on display at the show. The evaluation will be conducted by a panel of consumer and privacy advocates, including U.S. nonprofit Consumer Reports, refurbished technology marketplace Back Market and right-to-repair advocates iFixit.
Organizers released their list of losers on Thursday, saying they had picked “the most over-engineered, unfixable and unsustainable tech disasters at CES” this year.
Topping the list was Samsung’s Bespoke AI Family Hub, an internet-connected refrigerator that can open and close its door using voice command…