CES 2025’s ‘worst in show’ revealed by tech experts – one luxury item dubbed ‘a new low’

LAS VEGAS — Much of the technology on display at CES involves devices made to improve consumers’ lives — whether it’s using AI to make devices that help people become more efficient, creating companions to cure loneliness, or providing tools that help people with mental and physical health.

But not all innovation is good, according to a self-described panel of dystopia experts who have rated some products as “worst in show”. The award no company wants to win highlights the “less repairable, less private and less durable products on display.”

“We’re seeing more and more of these things that basically have surveillance technology built into them, and that enables some interesting things,” Liz Chamberlain, director of sustainability at e-commerce site iFixit, told The Associated Press. “But it also means that now we have microphones and cameras in our washing machines, our fridges, and that’s really an industry-wide problem.”

The fourth annual competition announced its winners on Thursday.

A new smart ring every few years?

Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, gave the Ultrahuman Rare Luxury Smart Ring the title of “least repairable.”

The rings, which come in colors like dune and desert sand, cost $2,200. Wiens said that the jewelry “looks elegant, but it hides a big flaw: its battery lasts only 500 charges.” Worse, he said, is the fact that replacing the battery is impossible without completely destroying the device.

“Luxury items can be fast, but two years of use for $2,200 is a new low,” he said.

Ultrahuman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A smart AI crib?

Bosch’s Revol bed uses sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence that the company says can help monitor vital signs like how a baby sleeps, its heart and breathing rates, and more. The bed can also gently rock if baby needs help sleeping and alert parents if a blanket or other object is obstructing breathing.

EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn said the crib taps into parents’ fears and “collects excessive data on babies via a camera, microphone and even a radar sensor.”

“Parents expect safety and comfort — not surveillance and privacy risk — in their children’s cribs,” she said in the report.

A Bosch spokesperson told The Associated Press that all data is end-to-end encrypted and stored on servers managed by Bosch, “while all data at rest is secured locally with individual encryption keys of data”.

“Guardians have the final say on whether data is transmitted at all. Revol has an offline mode, which keeps data local if preferred,” the spokesperson said, adding that the smart crib helps keep children safe.

Too much junk?

Although AI is everywhere at CES, Stacey Higginbotham, a policy fellow at Consumer Reports, felt that SoundHound’s Auto Commerce Ecosystem, powered by its Automotive AI, pushes it to unnecessary extremes.

The feature “increases energy consumption, encourages wasteful transportation consumption and distracts drivers” all while adding little value,” Higginbotham said. It made the in-car system the “least sustainable” on the list.

The Soundhound AI platform allows drivers and passengers to order pickup directly from the car’s infotainment system. The company did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement Tuesday, Keyvan Mohajer, CEO of SoundHound AI, said the product launch marks a moment “decades in the making.”

“What starts here with food and restaurants will eventually open up a new commercial ecosystem for automakers and equipment manufacturers everywhere,” he said.

Vulnerable to hacking

TP-Link’s Archer BE900 router won for “less secure” at CES. The company is a top-selling router brand in the US, but its products are vulnerable to hacking, said Paul Roberts, founder of The Security Ledger.

“Under Chinese law, TP-Link must report security flaws to the government before notifying the public, creating a significant national security risk,” he said. “Yet TP-Link showed off its Archer BE900 router at CES without addressing these weaknesses.”

In an emailed response, TP-Link Systems disputed the report.

“TP-Link Systems Inc. is a US-based company and does not provide any such security reporting in China as referenced by iFixit,” the company said. “TP-Link Systems has a secure, vertically integrated and US-owned international supply chain. Almost all products sold in the United States are made in Vietnam.â€

TP-Link said it monitors its supply chains and is “continually assessing potential risks to US operations, customers and supply chain”, adding that it acknowledges vulnerabilities exist across the industry.

“However, contrary to claims of widespread vulnerabilities, the benchmark data puts TP-Link on par with, or in some cases ahead of, other major industry players in terms of security scores,” the company said.

Who asked for this?

The awards also feature a category called “Who Asked This?”

Topping that list was Samsung’s Custom AI Washing Machine, which Nathan Proctor, senior director of US PIRG, a consumer advocacy group, said is packed “with features that nobody needs “, including the ability to make phone calls.

“These additions only make the device more expensive, more fragile and more difficult to repair,” he said.

Samsung did not respond to a request for comment.

At a press conference at CES on Tuesday, Jong-Hee Han, vice president of Samsung’s device experience division, said he was “proud of how we’ve introduced new technologies and intelligence into the home, connected key devices and put the standard”. for the house of the future.â€

“We are reinforcing our commitment to delivering personalized experiences through our extensive implementation of AI, and we will continue this journey of leading AI at home and beyond, not just for the next decade, but for the next century, he said.

Worst overall

Gay Gordon-Byrne, chief executive of the Repair Association, called the LG “AI Home Inside 2.0 with ThinkQ” refrigerator the worst product overall. The refrigerator adds “flashy features,” Gordon-Byrne said, including a screen and Internet connectivity.

“But these come at a cost,” Gordon-Byrne said. “Shorter software support, higher power consumption and expensive repairs reduce the practical life of the refrigerator, leaving consumers with an expensive and useless gadget.â€

Christopher De Maria, director of public relations at LG Electronics, disagreed with Gordan-Byrne’s assessment of their new product.

“Of course, like any new innovation, there will be detractors, but we believe that when we launch this product, consumers looking to elevate their kitchen experience will appreciate its innovative features, convenience and performance. We have not announced pricing or availability or shared any information about power consumption, so these comments are respectfully without factual merit.â€

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