As most of us know by now, AI has pretty much infiltrated every part of our lives. From initially using ChatGPT for homework assistance to creating AI-powered musical lollipops, it’s clear that we’re entering an era where technology solves problems no one actually has.

At the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, companies displayed a variety of crazy and non-crazy AI gadgets. Some gadgets made sense. Most were just insane. My question is: How does one even come up with these ideas? Did the brainstorming process involve sleep deprivation and a dare?

For instance, why does someone need a lollipop that uses bone conduction technology to transmit music through your mouth? Well, apparently, headphones are too performative nowadays. I know what you’re thinking: “But only matcha-drinking men use them!” At this point, who even cares! Would you rather be labeled as a performative male, or lose your music after 10 minutes because you finished the lollipop? Also, do these things even taste normal? When you take the lollipop out of your mouth, does the music just… stop? Because if so, you’re paying $8.99 for up to 20 minutes of one artist, one genre, and one dental appointment. I don’t think that sounds like a business idea that will survive the initial funding round. 

Another crazy and incredibly creepy invention at this year’s showcase was Lepro’s AI soulmate Ami. Although AI dating and having ChatGPT-generated AI boyfriends for you and your friends when you’re bored isn’t an entirely foreign concept, Ami takes AI companionship to a whole other level. Designed for lonely remote workers, it poses an “urgent” question: how lonely is too lonely? If you’re feeling isolated, maybe call a friend. Or, better, touch some grass. Because in the long-term, Ami will probably make you feel even more lonely once you realize she’s not an actual person with reciprocated feelings. What’s even worse is that she’s almost certainly telling 10 other guys the same exact thing. What happens when you and your friends both buy Ami? Aren’t you guys technically dating the same “girl?” Do you place friends before feelings, or is she just shared cloud-based property? 

What makes Ami so appealing to customers is that she’s “different.” According to its creators, Ami requires physical space on your desk and your full attention. Just imagine walking into the office and seeing your married coworker whispering to an AI cylinder, “soulmate.” That’s easily a future top-ten divorce reason. Also, if you’re seriously considering entering this realm of AI dating, you definitely need to think about your life in the long run. If you genuinely fall in love with Ami, how will you guys get married? Where will you guys get married? Imagine telling your coworkers about getting married to the “love of your life” where you guys first met, conveniently leaving out the part where you guys “met” at a technology showcase. Or, imagine introducing your niece and nephew to your “wife”: “Hi guys! This is Ami, your aunt, and she’s artificial intelligence!”

Your niece and nephew, sucking on the bone-conducting bluetooth lollipop, yell, “Say that again! We can’t hear you!”