There is no doubt that AI is currently the most watched technology hotspot. The entire industry seems convinced that AI can propel the tech sector to new heights. However, this fervent pursuit of AI appears to have spread across all technology fields, creating a sense of fatigue with the notion that not talking about AI means falling behind. Furthermore, AI is still in its growth stage, and the industry remains embroiled in debates about its future development. Yet, apart from this super-dividend of AI, advancements in other technologies seem somewhat distant for most. Therefore, focusing on AI has become a shortcut for major tech companies to break through.
Here at CICE 2025 in Qingdao, we have seen numerous companies highlighting AI in their marketing, along with their end products. Naturally, the organizers themselves did not shy away from printing “AI” directly on promotional materials, claiming to connect everything through AI. After all, compared to other esoteric tech terms, AI instantly captures consumers’ attention and wins their favor. In fact, for a consumer electronics expo like CICE aimed at the general public, AI truly is a fast-acting marketing strategy.
As a major embodiment of AI, intelligent robots are clearly eye-catching. In Hall A2, we saw many robotics companies showcasing their products, including the currently popular Unitree Robotics, various types of robotic dogs, and the Aelos robot which gained fame at the Spring Festival Gala. Additionally, an OpenHarmony humanoid robot named “Kuafu” capable of jumping was displayed. Beyond these, companies like BrainCo presented their intelligent bionic hands, envisioned as future assistants in industrial and professional fields. However, upon inquiry with these vendors, it became apparent that most of these robots are still primarily for entertainment and leisure purposes. There is still a long way to go before they can fully replace human labor, especially in areas like health and elderly care robots, which remain far from practical implementation due to technical limitations.
Apart from robotics, the home appliance industry is also actively embracing AI. Compared to the high-end humanoid robots, people interact with home appliances daily. Therefore, using AI to make appliances smarter would undoubtedly enhance user experience, making tasks easier and more efficient. At CICE 2025, we saw many home appliance products with built-in AI. As is well known, in Qingdao, Shandong, the most famous home appliance companies are Haier and Hisense, and indeed, we saw a considerable number of their products on site.
First, Haier brought its full range of products, including refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters, coffee machines, etc. They also catered to different consumer segments with brands like Haier, Three-Wing Bird, Casarte, and the youth-oriented Little Red Flower appliances. These appliances feature designs tailored to different user groups with functional preferences. For example, the Haier Little Red Flower line sports a youthful aesthetic and utilizes AI for enhanced intelligence. Meanwhile, products like Haier’s Casarte target high-end consumers with exquisite craftsmanship and incorporate Haier’s latest technologies.
Besides Haier, Hisense also showcased a significant number of products. However, unlike Haier’s focus on home appliances, the Hisense booth was dominated by display-related products, including many recently released models. For instance, we saw the world’s first 116-inch RGB MiniLED TV officially launched by Hisense in May. Based on RGB three-dimensional color control technology, it delivers color performance rivaling the real world, offering an immersive experience. Hisense also presented the RGB-Mini LED TV U7S Pro, capable of 100% BT.2020 color gamut coverage. More importantly, through continuous effort, Hisense has been lowering the entry barrier for RGB-Mini LED, making this new technology accessible to more consumers.
On site, Hisense also demonstrated its strong R&D capabilities in TV display technology, including the showcased Hisense Micro LED TV UX series. It supports arbitrary splicing, comes in standard sizes of 136 inches and 163 inches, and can be customized up to a maximum of 271 inches, providing a stunning viewing experience more suited for commercial displays. Additionally, for consumers seeking harmony with home furnishings, Hisense displayed Art TVs that blend perfectly into interior décors, appearing as exquisite art pieces when not in use. Hisense has also fully embraced AI, incorporating its self-developed voice assistant. Leveraging advanced models like DeepSeek R1, it has intelligentized the voice assistant, allowing interaction during movie watching, sports programs, and educational content, significantly enhancing the overall viewing experience.
For AI to enter more households, advanced algorithms and models alone are not enough; fast, low-latency networks are also crucial. At the venue, we saw communication models demonstrated by the three major telecom operators, offering consumers fast and affordable network experiences while providing complete solutions for industrial production, thus laying a solid hardware foundation for future popularization of AI. We also saw new energy vehicles presented by numerous automakers, which are also beneficiaries of the AI era, using advanced hardware and algorithms to make assisted driving no longer exclusive to premium cars.
As perhaps the largest technology event in the Shandong region, the China International Consumer Electronics Expo (CICE) also serves as a bellwether for new technology applications. Some companies have already taken the lead, fully integrating AI into their products to attract consumer attention. However, as mentioned before, for most manufacturers, AI remains merely an embellishment. Ultimately, winning consumer recognition still relies on solid product capability.
