When AI-powered means rebranded rip-off

It’s the label du jour for all sorts of gadgets, but do consumers really know what it means?

As the AI revolution has gathered pace, it has become an essential part of any event. PHOTO: AFP
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Build a better mousetrap and the world apparently will beat a path to your door. Alternatively, if you don’t actually have any new ideas, perhaps you can just rebrand the existing device as AI-powered.

Proclaiming the benefits of the latest technology is a well-tried staple of the retail business. So it should not have required expensive visits to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to predict that every absurd gadget is finding ways to incorporate the promise of artificial intelligence (AI) into its latest merchandise.

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