First came the AI beauty pageant. Then the AI music contests. Now, there is an award for AI Personality of the Year — perhaps the inevitable next step for the AI influencer economy as it transforms from quirky novelty into a serious and lucrative industry.
Technology
CES 2026 showstoppers: 10 gadgets you have to see
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Every January, the Consumer Electronics Show, better known as CES, takes over Las Vegas. It’s where tech companies show off what they’re building next, from products that are almost ready to buy to ideas that feel pulled from the future.
CES 2026 was packed with moments that made people stop and stare. Some of the tech felt practical. Some of it felt a bit wild. However, these 10 showstoppers were the ones everyone kept talking about on the show floor.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.
1) LG Wallpaper TV
LG pushed TV design to the edge of invisibility once again at CES 2026. The latest Wallpaper TV, officially called the LG OLED evo W6, is just 9mm thin and sits completely flush against the wall. From the side, it looks more like glass than a television.
This version feels far more practical than earlier Wallpaper models. All inputs live in a separate Zero Connect Box, which wirelessly sends visually lossless 4K video and audio to the screen from up to 30 feet away. That keeps cables out of sight and gives you more freedom when placing the TV.
THIS EV HAS A FACE, AND IT TALKS BACK WITH AI
The LG CLOiD robot and the LG OLED evo AI Wallpaper TV are displayed onstage during an LG Electronics news conference at CES 2026, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Jan. 5, 2026. (REUTERS/Steve Marcus)
Picture quality also takes a major step forward. LG’s new Hyper Radiant Color Technology boosts brightness, improves color accuracy and deepens blacks while cutting screen reflections. With Brightness Booster Ultra, the Wallpaper TV reaches up to 3.9 times the brightness of conventional OLEDs and stays easy to watch even in bright rooms.
Powering it all is LG’s new Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen3. Its upgraded Dual AI Engine preserves natural detail while reducing noise, avoiding the overly sharp look that plagues some high-end TVs. Gamers also get plenty to like, including 4K at up to 165Hz, ultra-fast response times and support for NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium.
Availability: Expected later in 2026 through select retailers.
2) Dreame Cyber X Stair-Climbing Robot Vacuum
Dreame showed plenty of power at CES 2026, but the real jaw-dropper was the Cyber X concept. This robot vacuum uses a four-legged base that lets it climb stairs on its own, turning multi-level cleaning into something that finally feels automated.
The design looks unusual at first, almost like a robot pet. Once it starts moving, though, the idea clicks. A built-in water tank reduces trips back to the dock, which should help extend cleaning sessions and preserve battery life.
Dreame’s Cyber X concept uses a four-legged design to climb stairs on its own, hinting at a new era of autonomous home robots. (Dreame)
It’s still a concept, but Cyber X feels like a glimpse at where home robots are headed. Less rolling around. More real autonomy.
Availability: Concept product.
3) SwitchBot AI MindClip
SwitchBot joined the growing AI wearable trend with the MindClip, a tiny device designed to act like a second brain. It clips on easily, weighs just 18 grams and stays out of the way while quietly doing its job.
MindClip can record conversations and meetings, summarize calls and create AI-powered notes. It also supports more than 100 languages, making it useful for work, travel or multilingual households. Like similar devices, it lets you listen back to recordings and read transcriptions later.
Where MindClip aims to stand out is in memory. SwitchBot says users will be able to search past recordings and track down important details it captured earlier, turning everyday conversations into a searchable archive. That could be especially helpful for busy professionals and students who juggle calls, classes and meetings.
The tiny MindClip clips on discreetly while recording, transcribing and organizing conversations using AI. (SwitchBot)
Details are still limited, and no pricing has been announced. SwitchBot has hinted that many key features will require a subscription, which puts it in line with competing AI wearables.
Availability: Not yet available. Pricing and preorder details have not been released.
4) LG CLOiD Home Robot
LG didn’t just show off a concept robot at CES. It showed a glimpse of what a true AI-powered home might look like.
At LG Electronics’ booth at CES 2026, the company unveiled LG CLOiD, a home robot designed to handle real household chores as part of its “Zero Labor Home” vision. This isn’t just a rolling assistant. CLOiD can fold laundry, help in the kitchen and move safely around furniture.
The robot uses a stable, wheeled base inspired by robot vacuums, paired with a tilting torso and two articulated arms. Each arm has human-like movement and individual fingers, allowing CLOiD to grip, lift and place objects with surprising precision. In demos, it retrieved items from the fridge, loaded an oven and folded clothes after a laundry cycle.
CLOiD’s head acts as a mobile AI home hub, using cameras, sensors and voice-based AI to understand routines and control LG’s ThinQ-connected appliances. It still feels futuristic and a little unsettling, but the technology behind it is hard to ignore. If LG can make it practical and affordable, CLOiD could mark a real step toward AI doing the housework for us.
Availability: Concept and research-stage technology. Not planned for consumer sale at this time.
5) Glyde Smart Hair Clippers
Glyde is trying to solve one of the most frustrating parts of grooming: cutting your own hair without messing it up.
The company introduced AI-powered smart hair clippers designed to guide the cut for you. You wear a simple headband that marks where a fade should start, choose a style in the app and let the clippers do the rest. Built-in sensors track your speed, angle and movement in real time, automatically adjusting the blade to keep cuts even and fades smooth.
This is very much a trust exercise. You’re letting software guide sharp blades near your head, and that won’t be for everyone. But for people who skip the barber, hate appointments or just want a quick cleanup at home, the idea makes sense.
Glyde’s system is built to be “mistake-proof.” Move too fast, and the blade retracts. Tilt it the wrong way, and it trims less. Popular styles like buzz cuts, crew cuts and side parts are baked into the app, with step-by-step guidance that adapts as you cut.
It’s a one-time investment meant to replace repeat barber visits. If it works as promised, Glyde could turn haircuts into a 10-minute task you do on your own schedule.
Availability: Limited early access or direct sales may come later in 2026.
6) LEGO Smart Bricks
LEGO is adding a digital twist to its classic bricks, and surprisingly, it works. At CES, LEGO introduced LEGO Smart Play, a new line built around “Smart Bricks” that look like regular LEGO pieces but hide sensors, LEDs and speakers inside. The bricks can detect movement, distance and interaction, lighting up, changing color and producing sound effects in real time as kids play.
The launch leans heavily into Star Wars, including sets with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, an X-Wing and a TIE fighter. In one demo, a Luke minifigure produced its own lightsaber sounds. In another, bricks made swooshing and crashing noises when attached to vehicles, while figures reacted when they were “hit.” It felt playful, immersive and instantly understandable.
A LEGO piece with a smart brick attached is displayed during a LEGO news conference ahead of the CES tech show Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Smart Tags snap into the bricks to control different behaviors, and a quick shake wakes everything up. Pricing starts around $70 and climbs to about $160, with Star Wars sets arriving in March. LEGO hasn’t shared details on battery life yet, but the goal is clear: add interactivity without pushing kids toward screens.
This feels like LEGO doing tech the right way. You still build with your hands, imagine the story and snap bricks together. The technology simply brings the play to life.
Availability: Launching March 2026. Expected to be sold through LEGO and major retailers.
7) Autoliv Foldable Steering Wheel
This might look like a small change, but it could completely reshape future car interiors.
Autoliv unveiled the world’s first foldable steering wheel designed for Level 4 autonomous vehicles. When the car switches into self-driving mode, the steering wheel retracts smoothly into the dashboard, opening up the cabin and giving occupants more space to relax, work or just stretch out.
What makes this impressive is that safety isn’t sacrificed. Autoliv built an adaptive airbag system that changes with the driving mode. When you’re driving manually, the airbag lives in the steering wheel as usual. Once the wheel folds away in autonomous mode, a separate airbag in the instrument panel takes over, keeping protection intact at all times.
It’s a smart, practical solution to a problem automakers are already facing. If cars don’t always need a steering wheel, why should it always be in the way? Autoliv’s design shows how autonomy isn’t just about software, it’s about rethinking the entire cabin experience.
Availability: Automotive supplier technology for future vehicles.
8) TDM Neo Hybrid Headphones
These might be the most interesting headphones at CES for one simple reason: they refuse to stay just headphones.
Tomorrow Doesn’t Matter, better known as TDM, unveiled Neo, a premium on-ear 2-in-1 hybrid headphone that physically twists into a compact Bluetooth speaker. No docking. No accessories. Just a quick rotation, and your personal audio turns into shared sound. Amazing, right?
The concept might sound a bit gimmicky, but the execution feels solid. The hinge mechanism is sturdy, the transformation is intuitive, and the idea makes a lot of sense in real life. You can listen privately on a train, then flip Neo into speaker mode the moment you meet up with friends.
TDM describes this as going from “solo to social,” and that’s exactly the appeal. It blurs the line between headphones and portable speakers in a way we haven’t really seen before. For travelers, outdoor users, or anyone who hates carrying multiple audio devices, Neo could be a genuinely very useful hybrid device.
Availability: TDM will be launching Neo on Kickstarter later this month and will begin shipping in July.
9) Jackery Solar Mars Bot
Jackery made waves at CES with the Solar Mars Bot, a mobile solar generator that can move, track sunlight and recharge itself without constant setup.
The Solar Mars Bot uses AI-enhanced computer vision to navigate on its own, follow its user and reposition throughout the day to capture the strongest available sunlight. Instead of manually adjusting panels or relocating gear, the system handles those decisions automatically. When not in use, its solar panels fold and retract, which helps make storage and transport more practical.
What sets this system apart is how it blends mobility with energy storage. Unlike fixed solar installations that stay in one place or portable generators that must be carried and recharged by hand, the Solar Mars Bot actively manages its own power intake. It tracks the sun, recharges itself using solar energy and delivers power where it is needed.
That makes it especially useful for extended power outages, off-grid living, emergency backup and outdoor adventures where access to electricity can change throughout the day. The Solar Mars Bot shows how portable power can become more intelligent, adaptable and hands-off when conditions are unpredictable.
Availability: Prototype showcased at CES.
10) Timeli Personal Safety Device
Timeli grabbed a lot of attention at CES 2026 with a simple, immediate approach to personal safety. By combining a flashlight, HD video recording, a loud alarm, GPS tracking and live emergency dispatch into one handheld device, it earned a CES 2026 Innovation Awards Honoree and plenty of interest on the show floor.
Instead of opening an app or tapping through menus, Timeli relies on muscle memory. A quick press turns on a powerful flashlight and starts recording video. If a situation escalates, pressing and holding the SOS button triggers a full safety sequence. The alarm sounds, live video begins streaming, GPS coordinates lock in and two-way communication connects directly to emergency dispatch over cellular service.
That live connection matters. Timeli works with RapidSOS to give dispatchers real-time video and location data. This added clarity helps responders understand what is happening faster and send the right help sooner. Studies show video verified emergencies can cut response times dramatically, while also reducing false alarms.
Timeli works even without a phone. Built-in cellular, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth allow it to operate on its own or alongside the companion app for iOS and Android. Users can adjust video quality, light brightness and alarm volume to match their needs. Cloud video storage and alerts add another layer of reassurance.
WORLD’S THINNEST AI GLASSES FEATURE BUILT-IN AI ASSISTANT
The design stays practical. Timeli is about the size and weight of a smartphone, so it fits easily in a pocket, purse or backpack. Battery life supports long standby time, extended daily use and several hours of active protection. It even doubles as a power bank, while reserving enough charge to stay ready for emergencies.
Availability: Priced at $249 for preorder through timeli.com. Timeli includes a year of professional monitoring before transitioning to a monthly subscription.
Honorable mentions: CES 2026 products worth checking out
These products also stood out on the CES 2026 show floor, highlighting smart design choices and meaningful innovation that point to the future of consumer tech.
ASUS Zenbook Duo (2026)
ASUS reimagined portable productivity with the 2026 Zenbook Duo. This laptop snaps two 14-inch 3K ASUS Lumina OLED touchscreens together into a single mobile workstation you can carry with one hand.
The dual-screen setup lets you keep a main project open on one display while chats, calls or reference material live on the other. That alone cuts down on constant app switching. The OLED panels deliver rich color, deep blacks, smooth motion and built-in eye care that makes long sessions easier on your eyes.
ASUS also upgraded what you hear. A new six-speaker system replaces the previous two-speaker design, creating fuller, more immersive audio for movies, music, and calls. Everything is wrapped in a Ceraluminum ceramic finish that resists fingerprints and scratches while feeling premium in hand.
Availability: Expected early 2026. Pricing has not been announced.
SpotOn GPS Fence Nova Edition
SpotOn focused on precision and reliability with the launch of the SpotOn GPS Fence Nova Edition. This is a GPS dog fence system designed to create virtual fences anywhere, from small yards to massive rural properties, with no subscription required.
What sets Nova apart is its advanced antenna and receiver system. SpotOn uses a dual-band, dual-feed active antenna paired with a dual-band receiver that reduces GPS drift by up to 40% and delivers accuracy up to eight times better than competing systems. In third-party testing, it achieved 100% reliable containment.
Owners can create unlimited fences by walking boundaries, drawing them in the app, or placing GPS fenceposts automatically. The collar also includes intelligent audio cues, optional static correction, custom voice commands, LED prompts and sizing that grows with your dog. If a dog ever leaves the fence, tracking tools are available through the app or SpotOn support.
Availability: Available in the US and Canada for $999.
Lenovo Legion Go Powered by SteamOS
Lenovo took handheld gaming seriously with the Legion Go powered by SteamOS. This is the most powerful Legion handheld to ship natively with SteamOS, blending desktop-class performance with console-like simplicity.
It features an 8.8-inch PureSight OLED display and can be configured with up to an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X memory, and up to 2TB of PCIe SSD storage with expansion via microSD. SteamOS is tuned for gamepad controls and quick access, with features like fast suspend and resume, cloud saves, Steam Chat and built-in game recording.
The result feels less like a mini PC and more like a true console you can carry. You get instant access to your Steam library without juggling operating systems or launchers.
Availability: On sale June 2026. Starting price is $1,199.
SanDisk Optimus GX 7100M NVMe SSD
SanDisk introduced a new internal drive brand at CES, and the Optimus GX 7100M is its first standout. Built for handheld gaming consoles and thin and light laptops, this PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD delivers speeds up to 7,250 MB per second.
The drive is available in capacities up to 2TB, giving gamers faster load times, more room for large libraries and smoother performance on the go. It is designed for devices that support an M.2 2230 slot, including popular handheld consoles and compact laptops.
This launch also marks the debut of the SanDisk Optimus name, which will replace the company’s internal SSD lineup for gamers, creators and professionals moving forward.
Availability: Expected early spring 2026. Pricing will be announced closer to release.
Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?
Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
CES 2026 made one thing clear. Tech companies are taking bigger swings than ever. Some of these products feel close to becoming part of everyday life. Others may stay experimental for years. That’s what makes CES so fascinating. It gives us an early look at where technology could be headed and sparks conversations about what we actually want in our homes, cars and daily routines.
Which CES 2026 showstopper impressed you the most? Why? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.
Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
Two of my favorite color e-book readers are the cheapest they’ve been in months
Color isn’t essential in an e-reader, but let’s be honest, it’s a nice perk that can bring digital books, magazines, comics, cookbooks, and other publications to life. The catch is that color ebook readers tend to be substantially pricier, which makes today’s deals stand out. Right now, the Kindle Colorsoft (16GB) and Kobo Libra Colour are matching their lowest prices to date, with the Amazon e-reader going for $169.99 ($80 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, and the Libra Colour going for $199.99 ($30 off) via Rakuten’s online storefront.
At their core, both are excellent e-readers with 7-inch, 300ppi E Ink displays, which drop to 150ppi when viewing color. The Colorsoft’s display is slightly more vibrant in most instances, but the difference isn’t dramatic. Each also offers IPX8 water resistance, so you don’t need to worry about spills and can comfortably read in the bath or by the pool.
Which one makes more sense for you largely depends on where you buy your books, how much storage you need, and whether you like to take notes. The Colorsoft is great if you’re heavily embedded in Amazon’s ecosystem, as buying and accessing Kindle books is intuitive and doesn’t require any sideloading. As the more affordable option in Amazon’s lineup, the standard Colorsoft delivers a nearly identical reading experience to the Signature Edition, and it supports Amazon’s “Send to Alexa Plus” feature, which lets you send notes or documents to Amazon’s AI-powered assistant for summaries, to-do lists, reminders, and more. The downside is that it lacks wireless charging and an auto-adjusting front light — which are standard on the step-up model — and comes with 16GB of storage instead of 32GB.
That said, if I didn’t already own so many Kindle books, the Libra Colour would be my pick. It offers double the storage at 32GB and includes intuitive physical page-turn buttons. You can also write notes while reading, given that it offers stylus support, and it includes built-in notebook templates, as well as the ability to convert handwriting to typed text. It also supports EPUB and a wider range of file formats, and lets you save articles for offline reading with Instapaper. And it also offers adjustable warm lighting, which makes reading at night a little easier on the eyes.
Technology
Robot plays tennis with humans in real time
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A humanoid robot is now rallying tennis shots with a human in real time. It runs without a script or remote control, so it can react instantly on a tennis court.
The robot stands about 4 feet tall, giving it a compact, human-like frame. Galbot Robotics released a video showing its robot going shot-for-shot with a human player. The system behind it is called LATENT and runs on the Unitree G1.
And it is not just returning the ball. It is moving, adjusting and competing during live play.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.
CHINA’S COMPACT HUMANOID ROBOT SHOWS OFF BALANCE AND FLIPS
A humanoid robot rallies tennis shots with a human in real time, reacting without scripts or remote control during live play. (Galbot Robotics)
Why this tennis robot is different from others
Most athletic robots you have seen follow scripts. They perform pre-programmed actions or rely on a remote control. This one operates differently. It reacts to a human opponent in real time, tracking fast-moving balls, shifting across the court and returning shots with surprising accuracy. It also adjusts to changing trajectories and unpredictable shots during rallies. Researchers say it can sustain long rallies with millisecond-level reactions and full-body coordination. That marks a major step forward.
How the AI learned to play tennis
Training a robot to play tennis is extremely complex. Tennis involves:
- Tennis ball speeds can reach up to 67 miles per hour
- Split-second racket contact
- Constant movement across a large court
Capturing complete human gameplay data is difficult. So the researchers used a different method.
Training the robot using motion fragments
Instead of recording full matches, they focused on small segments of movement:
- Forehands
- Backhands
- Side steps
They gathered about five hours of motion data from five players. The sessions took place on a compact 10-by-16-foot court. That space is more than 17 times smaller than a standard tennis court.
RESTAURANT ROBOT GOES HAYWIRE, SENDS TABLEWARE FLYING BEFORE BREAKING OUT IN DANCE MOVES
Humanoid robots designed by Galbot Robotics select items from a shelf at the Shanghai New Expo Center in Shanghai, China, on July 26, 2025. Galbot Robotics also designed the tennis-playing robot that learns movement fragments and applies them in live competition. (Ying Tang/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
How the robot plays tennis during live rallies
The system first learns individual movements. Then it combines them into coordinated sequences. That allows the robot to:
- Move toward the ball
- Strike it with control
- Recover and reposition
To improve performance, the team trained the model in simulation. They varied physical conditions such as mass, friction and aerodynamics. This helps the robot adapt to real-world unpredictability. As a result, the system responds dynamically instead of following a fixed routine.
How well does it actually perform against humans?
In testing, the system achieved up to 96% success on forehand shots in simulation. In real-world trials, the robot can sustain rallies with a human and consistently return the ball across the net.
Watching the demo, it appears competitive. At times, the robot places shots away from the human player. That suggests more than a simple reaction. It points toward early forms of decision-making.
There are still limits. The robot can look unstable at times. Its motion is not yet as fluid as a trained athlete. High or unpredictable shots may still present challenges. Even so, the progress is clear.
Why this matters beyond tennis
This breakthrough goes far beyond tennis. It shows how robots can learn complex human skills without perfect data. The same approach could apply to:
- Football
- Badminton
- Industrial work
- Search and rescue
Any task that lacks complete motion data could benefit from this method. That is the bigger picture.
WORLD’S FASTEST HUMANOID ROBOT RUNS 22 MPH
A robot dances at the launch ceremony of a Galbot Robotics retail store in Beijing, China, on August 7, 2025. The company has also designed a 4-foot robot that returns tennis shots with millisecond reactions and full-body coordination. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Could robots compete with humans one day?
The path forward is becoming clearer. Today, the robot rallies. Next, it competes. In time, robots could train with or challenge professional athletes. Exhibition matches between humans and machines may become part of the sport. That future no longer feels far away.
Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?
Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
This demo shows how quickly things are changing. Robots are no longer stuck following scripts. They can now react, adjust and compete in real situations. What used to feel far off is starting to show up right in front of us.
So here is the question: If a robot could outplay you on the court, would you still want to compete, or would you rather train with it? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
AI influencer awards season is upon us
The contest, a joint venture between generative AI studio OpenArt and AI-powered creator platform Fanvue, with backing from AI voice company ElevenLabs, opens on Monday and runs for a month. The organizers said it is intended to “celebrate the creative talent ‘behind’ AI Influencers” and recognize their growing commercial and cultural clout.
Contestants will compete for a total prize fund of $20,000, which will be split between an overall winner and individual categories of fitness, lifestyle, comedian, music and dance entertainer, and fictional cartoon, anime, or fantasy personality. Victors will be celebrated at an event in May that the organizers are dubbing the “‘Oscars’ for AI personalities.”
To enter, you must develop your AI influencer on OpenArt’s platform and submit it at www.AIpersonality.ai. You’ll be asked for social media handles across TikTok, X, YouTube, and Instagram, as well as the story behind the character, your motivations for creating it, and details of any brand work.
Among those assessing contestants are 13‑time Emmy‑winning comedy writer Gil Rief, the creators of Spanish AI model Aitana Lopez, and Christopher “Topher” Townsend, the MAGA rapper behind AI-generated gospel singer Solomon Ray. According to a copy of the judges’ briefing seen by The Verge, contestants will be scored on four criteria: quality, social clout, brand appeal, and the inspiration behind the avatar. Specific points include reliably engaging with followers, portraying a consistent look across social channels, accurate details like having the “right number of fingers and thumbs,” and having “an authentic narrative” behind the avatar.
The contest is open to established creators and novices alike, though existing AI influencers will still need to submit material produced on OpenArt’s platform, Matt Jones, head of brand at Fanvue, told The Verge.
Despite being designed to celebrate creators of virtual influencers, Jones said that entrants don’t need to publicly identify themselves. “If a person who created this amazing piece of work wants nothing to do with the press or to expose themselves or to have their name out there, that’s obviously fine,” he said. “There would be no need to thrust anybody into the limelight here. We would just celebrate the piece of work.”
That creators can remain anonymous feels odd for a contest judging authenticity, particularly in an AI influencer ecosystem built on fictional people, fake personas, and fabricated backstories. That same anonymity has also helped grifts flourish with little accountability, from the AI white nationalist rapper Danny Bones to MAGA fantasy girl Jessica Foster.
There’s familiar baggage too, including persistent questions about originality, whether AI-generated work, or even a likeness, has been lifted from real creators, and whether these tools simply reproduce the same old biases in synthetic form. Organizer Fanvue has already faced criticism for this in the past: in 2024, a Guardian columnist described its “Miss AI” beauty pageant as something that “take(s) every toxic gendered beauty norm and bundle(s) them up into a completely unrealistic package.”
To Fanvue’s Jones, creators inevitably leave something of themselves in the AI characters they make. “You can’t help but put a little bit of yourself into the stories that you tell and the characters that you make,” he said, urging creators to “lean into that.” The idea feels at home in the influencer economy: not strictly real, but a form of synthetic authenticity the internet already knows how to handle.
-
Detroit, MI5 days agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Oklahoma1 week agoFamily rallies around Oklahoma father after head-on crash
-
Georgia1 week agoHow ICE plans for a detention warehouse pushed a Georgia town to fight back | CNN Politics
-
Science1 week agoFederal EPA moves to roll back recent limits on ethylene oxide, a carcinogen
-
Alaska1 week agoPolice looking for man considered ‘armed and dangerous’
-
Movie Reviews5 days ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
-
Science1 week agoLong COVID leaves thousands of L.A. county residents sick, broke and ignored
-
Education1 week agoVideo: Turning Point USA Clubs Expand to High Schools Across America