CES 2026 worst in show: AI girlfriends, a fridge that won't open unless you talk to it, and more

From disposable electric candy to voice-activated refrigerators without physical handles, CES was crammed full of enshittified, intrusive, insecure, and wasteful technology this year – just like it is every year. 

As regularly as bad tech shows up in Las Vegas in January, Repair.org and its allies in the repairability and tech responsibility movement were there to award a list of the worst things on display this year. 

As was the case in 2025, there's a lot of AI on this list – but not just AI. There's some literal garbage on it, too. 

Garbage you can taste, in fact

Public Interest Research Group's right to repair campaign director Nathan Proctor had an obvious choice to make when it came to the worst environmental impact: Lollipop Star. 

Literally a piece of e-waste in waiting, Lollipop Stars are suckers with an integrated battery and tiny speaker that, when placed in ...