Innovation

Watching CES Las Vegas 2026 unfold through live streams thousands of kilometres away in Joburg, one thing was clear: without the swag and sensory overload of the show floor, you start to see the cracks in the hype. And this year, it was filled with one thing: AI washing. A few years ago, every company was a blockchain company. Then everything was in the cloud. This year, if a product uses electricity, it will be marketed as having AI capabilities.

After a week spent sifting through virtual keynotes, it’s clear that "AI-powered" has become the most expensive synonym for "standard software" in tech history.