TV makers are taking AI too far

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.

Every year, TV makers flock to CES in Las Vegas to show off bigger, brighter, and better-looking displays. And every year, the same companies also use the show to throw a bunch of spaghetti against the wall as they try to figure out how to sell those big TV sets to consumers busy watching TikTok videos on their phones.

In recent years, TVs have gotten cameras for video chats and AI-powered workouts. They became cloud-powered game consoles, smart home hubs, and art displays. Two years ago, Samsung even wanted to convince people that their television would be a great telehealth platform — for pets.

I’m in Las Vegas this week, walking the show floor and talking to industry executives to find out what’s next for TVs. Not in terms of picture quality and quantum dot technology, but with regard to the apps running on these devices, the platforms making them work, and the bells and whistles manufacturers resort to to make us look up from our phones.

Here’s what I found.

It’s been a rough few years for the TV industry. Covid messed with supply chains, tariff threats added a lot of uncertainty, and fears of an economic downturn have consumers rethinking big purchases. As a result, TV sales have stagnated. Global TV shipments declined 0.6 percent year over year in Q3, according