LG unveils a new home robot and declares its AI is actually 'affectionate intelligence' which feels a little too Her (2013) for my liking

CES 2026 is here, and with it comes dozens of devices with AI that you didn't think would ever get AI. In an effort I can only assume is to differentiate itself from its competition, electronics manufacturer LG says its AI is actually 'affectionate intelligence'.

If you're wondering what that means or how LG aim to achieve it, the answer is mostly jargon. Shared on its CES blog and store page, LG says, "it starts with YOU affectionately through sensing and understanding, further caring for your life."

The AI page says it "understands your life" and "cares for you, your space, and the planet to make your life well-cared, just as you desire."

'How does it aim to do that?' I hear you ask. Good question. It plans to sell you products with integrated AI. Those products include TVs, speakers, washing machines, fridges, and an air conditioner. These use LG's ThinQAI, its in-house AI platform.

Alongside this, LG has announced the LG Cloid, a home robot, as part of its "zero labor home" vision. This vision is one where machines handle chores around the home. The Cloid is on the CES show floor, where it is reportedly retrieving milk, preparing croissants, and doing laundry. It is not clear how affectionate the Cloid's intelligence will be.

When I hear affectionate intelligence, I hear exactly what OpenAI has been trying to move away from since the launch of GPT-5. At the end of last year, Sam Altman talked about people who have unhealthy relationships with AI chatbots and said, "society will over time figure out" how close one can be to their AI.

Users around the launch of GPT-5 accused it of being "more rude, less precise, and less safe to talk to", and that's because guardrails were established to avoid users getting too attached.

It seems the point isn't for LG to tell you to start talking to your fridge, but rather a grandiose way of saying it will track your movements and actions to try and preempt the support you need. Smart LG devices can all be linked via an app, where you can monitor them, but AI integration means this may technically not be needed in the future, should the AI be smart enough.

As is ever the case with CES, 'affectionate intelligence' is LG trying to stand out among dozens of other companies, all looking to shove AI directly in front of your face. For me, I'd say Dell has the right approach. Tap into the 'consumer' part of the Consumer Electronics Show by putting products in front of eyes, and let any AI improvements work their magic in the background. Still, I certainly wouldn't mind a home, I mean, robot-made croissant and a glass of milk right now.

Best gaming rigs 2026

1. Best gaming laptop: Razer Blade 16

2. Best gaming PC: HP Omen 35L

3. Best handheld gaming PC: Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS ed.

4. Best mini PC: Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT

5. Best VR headset: Meta Quest 3

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