AI-pocalypse Now? My Hilarious (and Slightly Terrifying) Trip to IFA 2025
Folks, I just got back from Berlin’s IFA 2025, and I’m here to tell you: AI is not just coming, it’s here. It’s also seemingly everywhere. So much so that I’m starting to suspect my toaster is plotting against me… probably with AI. The sheer volume of “AI-powered” gadgets was so overwhelming, I’m pretty sure I aged a decade just trying to figure out which ones were actually useful and which were just slapping “AI” on everything like ketchup on fries.
When AI is Just… Algorithms in Disguise? The Great “AI” Debate
You see, the problem is, “AI” has become the new “organic” – a marketing buzzword thrown around so liberally it’s lost all meaning. Remember when everything was “smart”? Now everything is “AI enabled”. Is that Samsung Bespoke actually thinking for itself, or just running some slightly fancier algorithms? Are fuzzy bear robots on the cutting edge, or just cute marketing tools? These are the questions keeping me up at night.
Buzzword Bonanza: From Robot Lawnmowers to Refrigerators That Judge Your Recipes
I saw AI in everything from SwitchBot’s fuzzy bear robots to Roborock’s robot lawn mowers. Hisense had refrigerators that gave you recipe suggestions (because apparently, Google isn’t good enough anymore?). Samsung was, of course, all-in with their Bespoke AI, Vision AI, and Galaxy AI. Even voice assistants, bless their outdated souls, have been rebranded as “AI voice assistants”. It’s enough to make you scream into the AI-powered void.
The “AI” Label: Losing Meaning Faster Than My Phone Battery
With everyone and their smart fridge claiming to have AI, the term is becoming diluted. We are really going to call our washing machine “AI” when it’s just using some extra sensors? This kind of move can be really cheapening and honestly, confusing. Like that famous quote said, if everything is AI, nothing is AI!
A Beacon of Hope: Lepro Actually Explains Their AI!
Amidst the chaos, there was a shining beacon of honesty: Lepro. The lighting company actually took the time to explain that their voice assistant was created using an LLM trained on design concepts. Finally, some transparency! More companies need to follow this example.
Is AI Actually Worth Having? The Million-Dollar Question (Literally, Considering the Price Hike)
So, the big question: Is all this AI hype actually worth the extra cash? Sometimes, yes. Face recognition and video analysis are genuinely helpful. But that AI voice assistant in the Hisense air conditioner with only 18 voice commands? Not so much. And don’t even get me started on the AI Cooking and Laundry Agents. Do we really need AI to tell us how to cook or do laundry?
SwitchBot’s AI Art Frame: Cool, But Necessary?
Even SwitchBot’s innovative AI-prompt E Ink picture frame, as cool as it is, begs the question: “Why do I need this?” AI should be saving us time and headaches, not creating more things for us to manage.
Why You Need Nerds Like Me (and CNET) to Sift Through the AI Gold Rush
That’s where reviewers like myself and the rest of the CNET team come in. We’re the gold panners in this AI gold rush, sifting through the mountains of hype to find the nuggets of actual usefulness. We’re here to test, review, and tell you what’s worth your time and money.
So, stay tuned, because IFA 2025 has given us a whole new batch of AI gadgets to dissect. And remember, don’t trust everything with an “AI” label. Especially not your toaster. (Just kidding… mostly.)
