t turns out that AI is more fun than we thought — and I'm not talking about laughing at AI slop. I'm talking about the surprising number of AI products at CES 2026 that are aimed at entertaining kids. The products are cute, cuddly, and well-designed, but they also raise some serious questions.

Here are three from CES 2026 that we'll use as examples:

• Luka AI Cube and Luka Robot — Both products come from the same company that gave us the Jibo "social robot," a viral hit a decade ago. The Luka AI Cube is a small ruggedized square tablet worn on a neck strap. It's a learning partner that kids can point at things in nature, in a museum, and in other settings to ask questions and get interactive content. The Luka Robot is a multilingual tool that can read stories to kids. The simple reader version of the product has already been used by over 10 million families for several years, but just added AI features unveiled at CES 2026 to transform from passive listening to conversation-based interactions.
• Sweekar's AI Tamagotchi-inspired pet — This is a throwback to the 1990s virtual pet that kids had to give attention to keep alive. The Sweekar version shown at CES uses the same concepts. The robot pet starts as an egg that hatches and then, as kids play with it, progresses through stages of development until it becomes an adult. Where the AI comes in is that the virtual pet can learn to talk, recognize its owner's voice, and adapt to its owner's personality. The device works to create emotional attachment.
• Cocomo robot pet by Ludens AI — Another robot pet that's focused on emotional support is Cocomo. Japanese startup Ludens AI has created an autonomous robot pet that can follow you around your living space and learn what comforts you, what makes you laugh, and what surprises you. It can then respond with cute-sounding hums and noises that are aimed at creating a personal connection.

In contrast to the AI companies launching emotionally complex toys, across the halls at CES, the Lego company unveiled smart Legos that simply light up and make fun sounds.