A person stands by a Samsung Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator at the Samsung booth during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Chef-like robots, AI-powered appliances and other high-tech kitchen gadgets are holding out the promise that humans don't need to cook — or mix drinks — for themselves anymore.
There was plenty new in the food and beverage world at CES 2024, the multi-day trade event put on by the Consumer Technology Association. Displays included a cocktail-mixing machine akin to a Keurig, and a robot barista whose movements are meant to mimic a human making a vanilla latte.
Here's some of the newest tech that's transforming the way meals are prepped, cooked and delivered:
ONE TOUCH IS ALL IT TAKES
Tech startup Chef AI is unveiling what it calls a “real one-touch” air fryer.
Unlike the air fryer you might have on your kitchen counter right now, Chef AI’s iteration of the popular appliance doesn’t require any tinkering with settings. Just place the food in the air fryer, press Start, and it uses artificial intelligence to detect what type of food it is cooking, says the company's CEO, Dean Khormaei.
He said the air fryer would turn even the worst cooks into chefs.
Chef AI will be available in the U.S. in September for $250.
YOUR OWN PERSONAL BARTENDER
What's the secret to a perfect dirty martini? Don't worry about it — Bartesian's cocktail-mixing appliance takes the guesswork out of bartending.
Bartesian's latest iteration, the Premier, can hold up to four different types of spirits. It retails for $369 and will be available later this year.
Use a small touch screen on the appliance to pick from 60 recipes, drop a cocktail capsule into the machine, and in seconds you have a premium cocktail over ice.
If you fancy a homemade beer instead, iGulu's new automated brewing machine lets you make your own beer — a pale ale, an amber lager or a wheat beer. Just pour a pre-mixed recipe into the machine's keg, add water and scan the sticker that comes with the beer mix. In nine to 13 days, you'll have a gallon of DIY beer.
ROBOT BARISTA THAT MOVES LIKE YOU MOVE
Artly Coffee's barista bot mimics the way a human behind the counter of your favorite coffee shop might prepare your usual order.
“What we're really trying to do is preserve the craft of fine coffee,” said Alec Roig, a hardware developer for the Seattle-based tech startup that now is operating at 10 locations across the Pacific Northwest and in New York City.
Roig said the company's resident barista, who is behind all of Artly's coffee recipes, was hooked up with motion sensors that recorded his movements as he prepared each recipe, from packing the coffee grounds into the filter to frothing the milk and pouring latte art.
A rare magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 champagne that was specially produced for the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana has failed to sell during an auction. Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen handled the bidding Thursday. The auction's house website lists the bottle as not sold. It was expected to fetch up to around $93,000. It is one of 12 bottles made to celebrate the royal wedding. Little was revealed about the seller. The auction house says the bids did not receive the desired minimum price.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
