Updated April 09, 2025 at 13:12 PM ET
A new vacuum cleaner raised a few eyebrows online for one of its features: text and call alerts.
A new refrigerator lets users play trivia games and watch videos on its large screen, while a combination washer/dryer is equipped to display incoming calls on its screen when linked to a phone.
As appliance manufacturers rush to add "smart" features and AI to new offerings, one question lingers: Are these features that people want?
The above products are all made by Samsung as part of its new Bespoke AI product line. But Samsung isn't alone. GE trumpets its "AI-powered kitchen, laundry, and shopping innovations," such as a refrigerator that can give recipe suggestions based on a photo of its contents. LG says its "Affectionate Intelligence is there to thoughtfully care for everyone in your home."
Industry watchers offered differing opinions about what's driving manufacturers to go all-in on AI and smart appliances, some of them with questionable features. ("Smart" meaning connected to the internet, while AI appliances tout even more advanced features.) And surveys and some online reviews suggest that customers don't seem to be buying it, at least not yet.
Gaining attention and testing things out
Perhaps some of the inspiration is to create media buzz — articles like this. Some on social media had a strong reaction to an article in The Verge noting the new Samsung vacuum tech.
Stacey Higginbotham, a policy fellow at Consumer Reports, thinks companies are embracing AI partly because they want to make "fancy new objects to gain attention."
"Every year at CES, [the consumer tech trade show,] you will see appliance makers come out with a new whiz bang feature. And for the last few years, connectivity and AI have been those features," she says.
They could also just be throwing out ideas and seeing what works.
"In a lot of cases, they're testing out the new use cases," says Rick Kowalski, the senior director of business intelligence at the Consumer Technology Association, an industry trade group. "So seeing what might stick in the years to come, what customers might be interested in."
Samsung told NPR its integrated phone and text features on appliances are "designed to keep users connected while they go about daily routines like laundry or vacuuming. These Wi-Fi-enabled features offer added convenience, especially when users may not have their phone in hand."
Some features could be useful
To be fair, Samsung's marketing around its new stick vacuum and washer/dryer focuses on their actual cleaning and washing ability respectively, not so much the text and calling features. (Though the company envisions a future of "Screens Everywhere" on its appliances.)
Higginbotham says she owned a countertop toaster oven that had a camera and a graphics processor. "When I put in food, it would be like, 'Hey, is this a chicken breast?' And you're like, 'Yes, it is.' And then it would actually just cook it for me," she says, by monitoring the temperature using a programmed recipe.
Companies and AI backers also say new AI appliances often incorporate features to maximize energy efficiency.
For example, a washer/dryer can "automatically monitor the size and the weight of a laundry load to gauge how much detergent and how much water and how much heat to apply to that cycle," Kowalski says. Samsung says its stick vacuum can automatically detect what type of floor it's on to optimize suction for each type of carpet and in turn save battery power.
There's also greater potential for the devices themselves to help with diagnosing problems when they occur and to recommend maintenance.
"The appliance category becoming connected does add a lot of opportunities to provide new information to a consumer," says Elizabeth Parks, the president and chief marketing officer at Parks Associates, which does market research on consumer tech and works with some manufacturers.
"How much energy is being used? Does that tie to any bills? Are there any alerts about the performance of the appliance? You know, especially that energy efficiency part can translate to dollars saved," she says.
It's all about the data
Gathering data on how their products are used and how they work over time is another big reason for companies pushing AI and smart appliance tech.
They want to transfer what was once a one-time purchase into an ongoing relationship.
"It creates a service model, right? You sell the large appliance, the refrigerator or the washer dryer, and then maybe you sell the maintenance that goes with it," Parks says.
There are of course risks of hacking and privacy implications when connecting any device to the internet. Consumers should be aware that the devices will need software updates, and it's not always clear how long they will be supported, as Consumer Reports found.
An appliance-maker "at some point in time is going to presumably stop updating their ovens," Higginbotham says. "When they stop providing security updates, I'm going to have a vulnerable device on my network, so I will need to take it offline."
However, for those without experience using smart appliances, the experts NPR spoke to said most appliances' core function should remain even if the device is offline.
Are people buying this stuff?
Manufacturers have a long way to go in getting people to get fully on board with smart and AI appliances.
Only 15% of households own a smart large appliance, according to separate surveys in 2024 by the Consumer Technology Association and Consumer Reports, though the CTA says ownership has been creeping up in recent years and is expected to increase.
Some early adopters of smart devices want the "latest and the greatest" tech, according to Kowalski, while others who are buying are attracted to the promise of an overall "smart home ecosystem."
This home ecosystem idea is prevalent throughout marketing materials — the idea that all the home's devices will connect together and can be controlled by an app on the phone or on a central refrigerator "hub."
Cost is one factor holding many people back from buying the premium AI appliances, as well as a perception that there isn't an added value in the smart features and security and privacy concerns, according to Parks Associates survey data.
Among a small sample of online product reviews, reviewers said Samsung's new AI appliances had some good features but didn't find the AI aspects totally necessary and worth the extra cost.
"Ultimately I don't think AI features are worth the premium compared with buying a simpler, high-quality appliance from a reputable brand at a similar or lower price," wrote CNET's Ajay Kumar.
"Manufacturers talk a pretty good game about this, but the features they deliver are not really there yet," says Higginbotham.
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