CES 2026 reveals a quieter AI trend alongside the humanoid robots and smart appliances: companion machines designed for presence rather than productivity. These products signal AI moving from screens into physical form, optimizing for emotional connection rather than task automation.
Loona’s DeskMate: Transforms iPhones into puppy-eyed companions that track you while talking; Slack integration feels incidental to the emotional experience
Zeroth’s W1: Robot that does little besides follow users around and carry small items, while its M1 humanoid blends fall detection with Gemini-powered conversation for children and elderly
Fuzozo: A purring puffball with cellular connectivity, hinting at ubiquitous AI companions untethered from home WiFi
Ecovacs LilMilo: A Bichon Frisé-like robot using “lifelike biometrics” to recognize voices and develop personality—a strange pivot from robovacs
The Asian Model Goes West
Social robots popular with children and elderly in China and South Korea are being deliberately repackaged for Western homes. The companion robot category is expanding beyond novelty into mainstream consideration.
Why This Matters
The trend reveals a fork in AI’s physical manifestation:
Path 1: Humanoid robots for labor replacement (Boston Dynamics, Tesla Optimus)
Path 2: Companion robots for emotional connection (these CES products)
The second path targets a different job to be done: not productivity, but presence. Not efficiency, but companionship.
Strategic Implications
As AI becomes more capable, the question shifts from “what can AI do?” to “what do humans want from AI?” The companion robot category suggests the answer isn’t always task automation—sometimes it’s simply having something that responds to you.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
