[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] Consumer rights groups have selected Samsung Electronics' Bespoke AI Family Hub Refrigerator as both the overall 'Worst in Show' and the worst in the repairability category at CES 2026.
In the annual opposition awards presented by a coalition including iFixit, Consumer Reports, and the Digital Right to Repair Coalition, Samsung's Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator was criticized for adding voice-controlled door operation, a large touchscreen, constant internet connectivity, and ads while idle, turning an appliance that should primarily be keeping food cold into a problematic product.
As demonstrated at CES 2026 (Las Vegas, January 6-9), voice command recognition rates in noisy kitchen environments were significantly lower, raising questions about practical usability.
According to theregister, euronews, tech.slashdot, and notebookcheck, Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of the Digital Repair Alliance (Repair.org), said at the award ceremony that "all a refrigerator should do is keep things cold," and that connectivity dependency and advertising capabilities create a proliferation of failure points.
iFixit co-founder Kyle Wiens commented, "Samsung refrigerators are not even as reliable as they can be thrown." This is supported by statistics showing that Samsung refrigerators have a dismal parts availability rate, with less than 30% initially and around 40% in the mid-term. Furthermore, high failure rates of touchscreens and compressors make it difficult for them to live up to their 12-year lifespan.
Forced advertising even on premium models? Controversy surrounding the $1,900-$3,500 price range
Despite its premium positioning, with a US MSRP of $1,899 to $3,499 and a 29 cu. ft. capacity, this refrigerator officially introduced contextual advertising to its "Cover Screen" widget with a software update in October 2025. After the update, ads will refresh every 10 seconds along with news and weather on screens ranging from 21.5 to 32 inches, and the "Daily Board" theme will also include ad tiles.
Samsung explained that it was "providing practical information, not personalized information," but there was a strong backlash against advertising on a product worth thousands of dollars, saying it undermined customer trust.
In 2022, Samsung products accounted for 70% of the 700 refrigerator-related reports to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and in 2023, they remained the top culprit with 23 reports. While parts costs are among the lowest, the service network is weak, with only 58% coverage outside major cities, leading to frequent warranty repair delays.
Samsung countered, saying, "The exhibition environment and the home environment are different," and that "security and privacy are AI-based.
Other winners: A string of AI products focused on surveillance, waste management, and security vulnerabilities
The worst privacy product was Amazon's Ring AI, which expanded consumer surveillance with facial recognition, mobile surveillance towers, and third-party app stores. Cindy Cohn, Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), argued, "More surveillance does not guarantee safety." The worst environmental impact was Lollipop Star, a candy bar with a built-in non-rechargeable battery (e-waste after 60 minutes of use) that increases the risk of waste fires.
The security sector was criticized for Merach's UltraTread treadmill (an AI fitness coach) which stated in its privacy policy that "personal information security cannot be guaranteed."
The Bosch eBike app won the Enshittification category, and the Bosch 800 Series AI Barista won the "Who Wanted This?" category. The Repro Ami AI "Soulmate" camera won the popular vote. Hosted by Repair.org, this opposition awards ceremony was a coalition of iFixit, EFF, and PIRG, targeting AI overload, waste, and repair restrictions. As a warning in contrast to the CES innovation show, it left a message that consumers should not be swayed by unnecessary 'intelligence'.
