You can’t shake a stick without hitting an AI gadget at CES this year, with artificial smarts now embedded in just about every wearable, screen, and appliance across the show floor, not to mention the armies of AI companions, toys, and robots.
Technology
Most dubious uses of AI at CES 2026
But those are just the beginning. We’ve seen AI pop up in much stranger places too, from hair clippers to stick vacs, and at least one case where even the manufacturer itself seemed unsure what made its products “AI.”
Here are the gadgets we’ve seen at CES 2026 so far that really take the “intelligence” out of “artificial intelligence.”
Glyde smart hair clippers
This is a product that would be silly enough without the AI add-on. These smart hair clippers help amateur hairdressers deliver the perfect fade by dynamically altering the closeness of the cut, helped along by an ominous face mask that looks like it belongs in an optician’s office.
But it’s taken to the next level by the real-time AI coach, which gives you feedback as you cut. Glyde told me it’s working on voice controls for the AI too, and that eventually it will be able to recommend specific hairstyles, so long as you’re willing to trust its style advice. Are you?
“Where Pills meet AI.”
That was the message emblazoned across the SleepQ booth, where company reps were handing out boxes of pills — a multivitamin with ashwagandha extract according to the box, supposedly good for sleep, though I wasn’t brave enough to test that claim on my jetlag.
Manufacturer Welt, originally spun out of a Samsung incubator, calls its product “AI-upgraded pharmacotherapy.” It’s really just using biometric data from your smartwatch or sleep tracker to tell you the optimal time to take a sleeping pill each day, with plans to eventually cover anxiety meds, weight-management drugs, pain relief, and more.
There may well be an argument that fine-tuning the time people pop their pills could make them more effective, but I feel safe in saying we don’t need to start throwing around the term “AI-enhanced drugs.”
Startup Deglace claims that its almost unnecessarily sleek-looking Fraction vacuum cleaner uses AI in two different ways: first to “optimize suction,” and then to manage repairs and replacements for the modular design.
It says its Neural Predictive AI monitors vacuum performance “to detect issues before they happen,” giving you health scores for each of the vacuum’s components, which can be conveniently replaced with a quick parts order from within the accompanying app. A cynic might worry this is all in the name of selling users expensive and proprietary replacement parts, but I can at least get behind the promise of modular upgrades — assuming Deglace is able to deliver on that promise.
Most digital picture frames let you display photos of loved ones, old holiday snaps, or your favorite pieces of art. Fraimic lets you display AI slop.
It’s an E Ink picture frame with a microphone and voice controls, so you can describe whatever picture you’d like, which the frame will then generate using OpenAI’s GPT Image 1.5 model. The frame itself starts at $399, which gets you 100 image generations each year, with the option to buy more if you run out.
What makes the AI in Fraimic so dubious is that it might be a pretty great product without it. The E Ink panel looks great, you can use it to show off your own pictures and photos too, and it uses so little power that it can run for years without being plugged in. We’d just love it a lot more without the added slop.
Infinix, a smaller phone manufacturer that’s had success across Asia for its affordable phones, didn’t launch any actual new products at CES this year, but it did bring five concepts that could fit into future phones. Some are clever, like various color-changing rear finishes and a couple of liquid-cooling designs. And then there’s the AI ModuVerse.
Modular phone concepts are nothing new, so the AI hook is what makes ModuVerse unique — in theory. One of the “Modus” makes sense: a meeting attachment that connects magnetically, generating AI transcripts and live translation onto a mini display on the back.
But when I asked what made everything else AI, Infinix didn’t really have any good answers. The gimbal camera has AI stabilization, the vlogging lens uses AI to detect faces, and the microphone has AI voice isolation — all technically AI-based, but not in any way that’s interesting. As for the magnetic, stackable power banks, Infinix’s reps eventually admitted they don’t really have any AI at all. Color me shocked.
There’s a growing trend for AI and robotic cooking hardware — The Verge’s Jen Tuohy reviewed a $1,500 robot chef just last month — but Wan AIChef is something altogether less impressive: an AI-enabled microwave.
It runs on what looks suspiciously like Android, with recipe suggestions, cooking instructions, and a camera inside so you can see the progress of what you’re making. But… it’s just a microwave. So it can’t actually do any cooking for you, other than warm up your food to just the right temperature (well, just right plus or minus 3 degrees Celsius, to be accurate).
It’ll do meal plans and food tracking and calorie counting too, which all sounds great so long as you’re willing to commit to eating all of your meals out of the AI microwave. Please, I beg you, do not eat all of your meals out of the AI microwave.
The tech industry absolutely loves reinventing the vending machine and branding it either robotics or AI, and AI Barmen is no different.
This setup — apparently already in use for private parties and corporate events — is really just an automatic cocktail machine with a few AI smarts slapped on top.
The AI uses the connected webcam to estimate your age — it was off by eight years in my case — and confirm you’re sober enough to get another drink. It can also create custom drinks, with mixed success: When asked for something to “fuck me up,” it came up with the Funky Tequila Fizz, aka tequila, triple sec, and soda. What, no absinthe?
Photo: Dominic Preston / The Verge
Should you buy your kid an AI toy that gives it a complete LLM-powered chatbot to speak to? Probably not. But what if that AI chatbot looked like chibi Elon Musk?
He’s just one of the many avatars offered by the Luka AI Cube, including Hayao Miyazaki, Steve from Minecraft, and Harry Potter. Kids can chat to them about their day, ask for advice, or even share the AI Cube’s camera feed to show the AI avatars where they are and what they’re up to. Luka says it’s a tool for fun, but also learning, with various educational activities and language options.
The elephant in the room is whether you should trust any company’s guardrails enough to give a young kid access to an LLM. Leading with an AI take on Elon Musk — whose own AI, Grok, is busy undressing children as we speak — doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
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Technology
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You hear the phrase “dark web monitoring,” and it can feel unsettling. If a company is scanning shady corners of the internet for your information, are they exposing you even more?
That question comes up often. In fact, Joyce from Florida wrote in with a concern many people share:
“When companies scan the dark web for your data, doesn’t that put you at risk? Your information is now out there. Please explain what that really means.” Joyce, Fanning Springs, Fla.
Joyce, great question. A lot of people assume these services are pushing your data somewhere new. That isn’t what is happening. The short answer is simple. No, dark web monitoring does not put your information at risk. Let’s walk through what is really going on.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENS ON THE DARK WEB, AND HOW TO STAY SAFE
Dark web monitoring checks breach dumps, hacker forums and leaked databases for personal information that may already be exposed. (Annette Riedl/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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What is dark web monitoring and how does it work
These services are not uploading your data anywhere. They are not spreading your information.
Instead, they are:
- Monitoring known data breach dumps, hacker forums and leaked databases
- Searching for matches to your information, like your email or phone number
- Alerting you if your data is already found there
Here is the key point to understand. Your information is already out there before they ever find it.
Does dark web monitoring expose your data? A simple way to think about it
The simple answer is no. Think of it like checking if your stolen credit card is being used. No one is putting your card out there.
A monitoring service watches for signs that your data is already in use, so you can shut it down quickly.
10 SIGNS YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS BEING SOLD ONLINE
How dark web monitoring works without exposing your information
Reputable services use secure methods to check for your data. They are designed to protect your information during the process.
These include:
- Hashed searches, where your data turns into unreadable code before checking
- Secure databases and APIs that compare data without exposing it
- Monitoring existing breach datasets instead of live personal accounts
They are not:
- Logging into your accounts
- Posting your information
- Interacting with criminals on your behalf
That distinction matters. They are observers, not participants.
Dark web monitoring can help users respond quickly by changing passwords, freezing credit or locking down affected accounts. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
When dark web monitoring could put your data at risk
While the concept itself is safe, the provider you choose matters. There can be a risk if:
- You use an unknown or untrusted service
- A company asks for sensitive documents without a clear reason
- The service itself has weak security and gets breached
That is why it is important to stick with well-known providers that have a strong track record.
BE AWARE OF EXTORTION SCAM EMAILS CLAIMING YOUR DATA IS STOLEN
Why dark web monitoring is actually helpful
Without monitoring, you might never know your data was exposed. That means:
- Your email and password could be circulating for months
- Someone could open accounts in your name
- Your information could be resold again and again
With monitoring, you get an early warning. That gives you time to change passwords, lock accounts and stop fraud before it spreads. In many cases, that early alert is the difference between a close call and a major financial hit.
Ways to stay safe from data breaches and identity theft
Even with monitoring, you should take simple steps to protect yourself.
1) Limit how much data is out there
Use a data removal service to reduce your exposure over time. A data removal service works to remove your personal data from data broker sites. That reduces how much of your information is circulating online in the first place. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
2) Stick with trusted services
Choose an identity theft protection service with strong security practices and clear privacy policies. They monitor your personal information and alert you quickly if it appears in breaches or suspicious activity. They also include identity theft protection tools in one place. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com
Data breach alerts can warn users when emails, phone numbers or passwords are found in leaked databases. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
3) Watch for alerts and act quickly
If you get a breach alert, change your password right away. Avoid reusing passwords across accounts. A password manager can help. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com
THE ONE THING SCAMMERS CHECK BEFORE TARGETING YOU ONLINE
4) Turn on two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of protection, even if your password is compromised.
5) Freeze your credit if needed
A credit freeze can stop criminals from opening new accounts in your name without your approval.
6) Monitor your financial accounts regularly
Check your bank and credit card statements often to catch suspicious activity early.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Dark web monitoring does not expose your data. It checks whether your data has already been exposed. Think of it as a radar system. It scans for danger so you can respond before things get worse. In a world where data breaches are common, that kind of early warning can make all the difference.
If your personal data was already out there right now, would you want to know or stay in the dark? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Technology
Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman says there are three labs that matter — and he wants Microsoft to be the fourth.
At Microsoft’s annual Build conference on Tuesday, the company announced a slew of new or expanded AI initiatives, including a super app, in-house reasoning models, a cybersecurity tool, and OpenClaw-esque AI agents. All this news added up to a clear message: Microsoft is positioned to be one of the biggest players in AI, and it’s finally acting like it.
For years, Microsoft’s AI business leaned hard on its early and exclusive partnership with OpenAI. But the drama-filled marriage slowly devolved into a situationship, and the pair effectively separated in late April (though Microsoft is still OpenAI’s primary cloud partner — for now). This year’s Build had the vibe of a freshly single divorcée posting a thirst trap on Instagram. “It’s always fun to be at developer conferences in times of great change,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said onstage Tuesday, adding that events like this are about “coming to grips with the new opportunity.”
AI chief Mustafa Suleyman, in an interview with The Verge, put it even more bluntly.
“The goal is to prove that we can become one of the top four labs in the world,” Suleyman said. “There’s three labs that matter, Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic. We are not one of them at the moment, and that’s always been my intention. It’s why I came here. I want to build the very best frontier models in the world, fully multimodal, and in order to do that, we have to prove that we can do everything that we need to from the ground up, and we’re not just going to take from others.”
One of Microsoft’s first steps at Build was indeed to play catch-up on AI models. Suleyman unveiled MAI-Thinking-1, the company’s first reasoning model, along with six other new models focused on image, voice, transcription, and coding. Microsoft said the medium-size MAI-Thinking-1 model, which will likely be marketed to primarily enterprise clients, is “built from scratch for serious math, coding, and real-world enterprise deployment.” Microsoft is years behind both OpenAI and Anthropic here; OpenAI began releasing reasoning models in the fall of 2024. But Suleyman emphasized its performance on benchmarks like coding and its price point, saying it was cheaper than OpenAI equivalents on some tasks — a big deal in the age of the AI money squeeze, which has inspired a lot of complaints with customers.
While Microsoft has had years to glean insights from OpenAI, Suleyman made sure to mention that its development did not involve any distillation, meaning that it wasn’t trained using a different company’s AI model. If MAI-Thinking-1 is good, Microsoft clearly doesn’t want people thinking it’s due to the influence of OpenAI.
Suleyman told The Verge that for Microsoft, “the pivotal moment was renegotiating our contract with OpenAI. That meant that we were allowed to train models at a larger scale and explicitly pursue superintelligence entirely with our own IP, with our own data, no distillation, training from scratch.”
Nadella also highlighted Microsoft’s recently launched AI cybersecurity tool MDASH, which he said brings together 100 AI agents to find exploitable bugs “better than any single model.” It was clearly a dig at Claude Mythos Preview, which Anthropic introduced in April to much fear and fanfare — and expanded access to just before Build. OpenAI has its own cybersecurity-focused system as well, and all three companies will likely use their offerings to jockey for position in the government and enterprise markets they desperately need to court.
Microsoft is in a more complex situation with AI agents. The popular open-source platform OpenClaw demonstrated a potential path forward for AI agents, and after OpenAI quickly hired its creator, Peter Steinberger, Microsoft (among other companies) is trying to catch up. One of its key strategies is making OpenClaw work well with Windows. At Build, Nadella said he was very committed to OpenClaw support, and Microsoft employees chatted with developers in the audience about how they were using it.
Steinberger himself made a surprise appearance to great audience reaction, taking the stage to boast about how OpenClaw had bolstered its security and earned user trust. “What I kept hearing was, ‘Peter, I love my Claw, but can I use it at work?’” Steinberger said. “You can totally run OpenClaw inside your company now, and we even made the harness itself a plug-in.” Steinberger said that whether someone trusts Copilot, Codex, or another company’s coding platform, users can now run OpenClaw on top of that via Windows.
But Microsoft is also promoting its own separate Copilot “super app” that integrates OpenClaw-esque agents. A super app is a major focal point for OpenAI right now — president Greg Brockman is leading development of one that will tie together ChatGPT, the Codex coding platform, and the Atlas web browser. Microsoft’s strategy is similar, bringing together a variety of existing Copilot AI assistants. Its agents, called “Autopilots,” are designed to act as a helpful user interface. Cassidy Williams, GitHub’s senior director of developer advocacy, called Copilot “your home base for development and operations on your computer,” demonstrating how multiple agents could perform tasks like app-building. (In an extra flourish, Williams demonstrated how she could approve or deny code changes by flashing her computer camera a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.)
Autopilots are designed specifically to appeal to business customers — Nadella called them “autonomous, long-running agents with full enterprise compliance.” The first one Microsoft will offer is “Scout,” billed as “your always-on personal agent,” but clients can build and personalize their own. The Autopilot agents should be able to look through an email inbox, join group chats in Teams, check a calendar, and send daily briefings, among other things. Accordingly, employees on stage at Build repeatedly emphasized Copilot’s security tools and guardrails — obviously aiming to calm enterprise clients who may have heard horror stories about tools like OpenClaw.
Suleyman made sure to emphasize, again and again, Microsoft’s “humanist superintelligence” as an “AI that prioritizes humanity first” — part of AI companies’ recent rebrand of AGI to make it sound less frightening in an era when people are pushing back against AI more than ever before.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, another speaker known for working closely with OpenAI, appeared via video call to tout how Nvidia’s RTX Spark chip is fueling Microsoft’s AI agent goals. “I could be traveling and I’m on the phone and I can text my PC … and it would fire up the tools on the PC,” Huang said. “The idea that the PC evolved from a personal computer to a personal AI is just really exciting.”
Microsoft spent years betting on OpenAI, and in some ways, that’s left it behind in the AI race. But as OpenAI and other competitors turn to enterprise to finally make money, it’s got some obvious advantages. Microsoft already has a substantial client base and, compared with other AI companies, a reputation for safety and security. And like Google, it also has deep pockets, considerable computing resources, and a diversified revenue stream, meaning it can take big bets without a ton of risk.
Suleyman told The Verge, “There’s a lot of people who are either like chasing startup valuations or about to IPO, so we can operate with a little bit more humility and a little bit more long-term optimization.” He added, “We’ve got the money to be able to buy Anthropic [models] when we need to. We’ve got the optionality in Azure with 11,000 models, so people can use literally whatever they want whenever they want, but that buys us the time to do it right from the start.”
At the same time, there are a lot of unanswered questions here. Microsoft called out a lot of benchmark wins and advancements for its seven new models, but that doesn’t always translate to real-world adoption, and even a new model that pulls ahead for a week or two can quickly fall behind. AI super apps are a mostly yet-untested idea. And Microsoft is entering a crowded yet still largely underwhelming AI agent marketplace with a product that we haven’t seen in action. There’s still plenty of room for its promises to fall flat.
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