As has been the case for the past two years, AI was at the forefront of many companies’ messaging, though the hardware upgrades and oddities that have long defined the annual event still have their place on the show floor and in adjacent announcements. This year, physical AI was particularly prominent, taking the place that agentic AI held last year as the show’s buzzy topic. That focus on physical AI came alongside a big focus on robotics, with robots demonstrated all over the show and showcased in numerous press events.
AMD chair and CEO Lisa Su delivered the first keynote of CES, with a presentation that featured partners, including OpenAI president Greg Brockman, AI legend Fei-Fei Li, Luma AI CEO Amit Jain, and more.
One of the buzziest reveals of the show is the debut phone from Clicks Technology, the $499 Communicator, which brings back BlackBerry vibes with its physical keyboard, plus a separate $79 slide-out physical keyboard that can be used with other devices.
“In our hands-on test, the phone felt good to hold — not too heavy or light, and was easy to grip. Gadway told me the company settled on the device’s final form after dozens of 3D-printed shapes. The winning design for the phone features a contoured back that makes it easy to pick up and hold.
“The device’s screen is also somewhat elevated off the body, and its chin is curved up to create a recess that protects the keys when you place it face down.”
“Unfortunately, at the presentation I saw, CLOiD didn’t do a whole lot. I saw the bot very gingerly take a shirt out of a basket and place it into a dryer. I also saw it pick up a croissant and (again, very gingerly) place it into an oven. In addition to the live performance from the bot, the presentation was intercut with highly produced videos of the bot in a number of hypothetical scenarios where it might prove useful to potential users.”
Then there’s Project AVA, which puts the avatar of an AI companion on your desk. We’ll let you watch the concept video for yourself.
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