LAS VEGAS – The days of the television being called the idiot box are well and truly over.

At the 2025 edition of CES – the world’s largest tech trade show – artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated into new TVs, with LG and Samsung announcing that Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant will be included in their latest line-ups.

Through a combination of far-field microphones and proximity sensors, TVs using Google’s operating system will also be able to answer queries more naturally using its Gemini AI assistant.

Not only can the screensaver be AI-generated using prompts, but it also can be replaced with news briefs and the day’s calendar items when someone approaches the TV.

Indeed, the biggest trend seen at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Jan 7 to 10, is likely that of AI making its way into more types of consumer products and in more useful ways.

On Jan 7, the media got an early look at the offerings at CES, a platform where manufacturers announce their latest products and showcase cutting-edge concepts that hint at the future to an expected 150,000 attendees over the four days.

AI and machine learning have also advanced in smart home devices, such as robot vacuums. Dreame showed off its latest X50 Ultra model that can detect and climb steps of up to 6cm. Roborock’s Saros Z70 can recognise things such as soft toys and socks and lift them out of the way with its folding grip arm.

This trend of manufacturers leveraging AI in more devices is only going to grow as costs have come down and implementation has become easier, said CES vice-president and show director John T. Kelley.

“Artificial intelligence has been here at CES for 10-plus years in different ways, (but) the AI story has really exploded as it’s becoming more accessible, and it’s easier for companies to build it into their products to better serve their customers,” he said.

A tech trends forecast by CES organiser Consumer Technology Association (CTA) highlighted how people’s comfort with AI has risen significantly in the past year – 93 per cent of American adults said they were familiar with generative AI, while more than 60 per cent have used AI tools at work.

CTA also noted that AI was the fastest-growing out of 33 categories in the CES Innovation Awards in 2025, with 50 per cent more submissions than the year before.

This underscores how AI will be a central theme for the show, as compani...