TV companies are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to enhance the viewing experience, but at what cost? The latest Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has seen a slew of AI-powered innovations that aim to revolutionize the way we watch TV. From Amazon's revamped Fire TV interface to Samsung's smart home integration, it seems like every major player is jumping on the AI bandwagon.
But with great power comes great complexity, and some of these new features are starting to feel overwhelming. For example, Google's Gemini on TV uses AI to suggest what to watch next after you finish a show, but it also requires you to pause the video while it generates its response. This feature may seem useful, but in practice, it can be a real distraction.
Similarly, Hisense showed off an AI-powered prototype that identifies products featured in select shows and allows you to order them from your phone with just a QR code. While this might sound convenient, it's also another unnecessary layer of complexity on top of the TV screen.
The question is: what's the killer app for TVs? Is it going to be something like cloud gaming or smart home integration? Or will we eventually return to good old-fashioned live TV and leave the AI features as an afterthought?
As one industry executive noted, "Primarily, consumers are using their television to watch content. That's still where the majority of the usage is." It seems that no matter how advanced our TVs become, at the end of the day, we're all just watching TV.
While some AI integrations, like Samsung's sound-tweaking feature, are genuinely useful and don't overwhelm the viewer experience, others feel like they're trying too hard to be cool. And let's not forget the inevitable issue of screen real estate creep – as these new features start to take up more space on the screen, it can become a real nuisance.
Ultimately, it's clear that TV companies are struggling to balance the need for innovation with the desire for simplicity. But if they can find a way to make AI work in harmony with our existing viewing habits, we might just see some truly revolutionary new features that enhance the TV experience without overwhelming us. Until then, though, it seems like AI is still trying to figure out how to be useful – and not too distracting – on the small screen.
But with great power comes great complexity, and some of these new features are starting to feel overwhelming. For example, Google's Gemini on TV uses AI to suggest what to watch next after you finish a show, but it also requires you to pause the video while it generates its response. This feature may seem useful, but in practice, it can be a real distraction.
Similarly, Hisense showed off an AI-powered prototype that identifies products featured in select shows and allows you to order them from your phone with just a QR code. While this might sound convenient, it's also another unnecessary layer of complexity on top of the TV screen.
The question is: what's the killer app for TVs? Is it going to be something like cloud gaming or smart home integration? Or will we eventually return to good old-fashioned live TV and leave the AI features as an afterthought?
As one industry executive noted, "Primarily, consumers are using their television to watch content. That's still where the majority of the usage is." It seems that no matter how advanced our TVs become, at the end of the day, we're all just watching TV.
While some AI integrations, like Samsung's sound-tweaking feature, are genuinely useful and don't overwhelm the viewer experience, others feel like they're trying too hard to be cool. And let's not forget the inevitable issue of screen real estate creep – as these new features start to take up more space on the screen, it can become a real nuisance.
Ultimately, it's clear that TV companies are struggling to balance the need for innovation with the desire for simplicity. But if they can find a way to make AI work in harmony with our existing viewing habits, we might just see some truly revolutionary new features that enhance the TV experience without overwhelming us. Until then, though, it seems like AI is still trying to figure out how to be useful – and not too distracting – on the small screen.
every company's jumping on the AI bandwagon like they're going out of style 
it's getting to the point where you can barely watch your fave shows without some AI-powered feature trying to interrupt you 
meanwhile I just wanna sit back relax and binge-watch my shows in peace, but noooo, the TV has to go and try to make life harder with all these extra features 
I mean, what's wrong with a simple remote control that doesn't require me to pause the show every time I want to see something else? 
it's like they're trying to turn our TVs into mini-computers or something... and don't even get me started on screen real estate creep... when are we gonna reach the point where AI-powered features start taking up more space on the screen than actual content? 
I'd rather be able to see what's happening in my favorite show, not scroll through a bunch of ads. And don't even get me started on the pause button for AI-generated recommendations – like, can't they just play the episode as is and then give me options afterwards? 
. But if I'm gonna spend my money on a new TV, it's gotta be simple and easy to use, not all fancy-schmancy AI stuff.
but google's gemini thingy requires u to pause the vid w/ ur phone? what if u're in the middle of a show and can't just pause it?! 
and btw i'm still team fire tv tho 
alexa, can u pls just let me watch my shows in peace? 
. Until then, I'll just stick to my phone for browsing stuff 
maybe if the industry execs focus more on what's actually important (like good content) and less on trying to be hip, we'll see some real innovation happen 