The push to add the initials ” AI” to every product, service, and item out in the world is exhausting, and shows no signs of slowing down. Every company wants you to think AI is both inevitable and necessary despite that being an absolute lie. However, that does mean they are going to slap artificial intelligence everywhere they possibly can, even if it doesn’t mean anything at all.

So it should be no surprise that the smart TV has been bested. In its place is the AI smart TV. Or in some areas, you may only see AI TV. Samsung, LG, and others would have you believe this is something you must own that transcends the experience you’ve had watching TV thus far in life. It’s not. Don’t be fooled. AI TVs are marketing gimmicks. Here’s how they work.

What is an AI TV, and how does it work?

Another name for a new smart TV

There’s no real exact definition of what an AI smart TV actually is, mainly because, like most TV terminology, it blends function with marketing. What companies are saying, essentially, is that an AI TV uses some kind of AI feature in order to attempt to improve the entire entertainment experience. It’s purposively vague and completely relies on AI being such a popular term right now.

An AI TV is still a smart TV; some companies may refer to models as AI Smart TVs or use the phrases interchangeable. It seems to me that some landing pages for specific models simply added the letters “AI” at various intervals to make an existing TV seem more intriguing than it really is.

AI features on your TV are basically being employed to make everything easier and simple. AI features claims to improve video and audio, catering to the environment, source material, and your personal preferences. There are searches that use AI as well, in addition to chatbots that exist on certain operating systems that can help you with, well, TV-related concerns, I suppose.

An AI TV is essentially a newer smart TV. You can think about it as a video game with a new DLC, perhaps. If you bought a TV in the last couple of years, it will likely have some AI features in it. So it’s an AI TV. But it’s important to keep in mind that while the AI features can offer some benefits, they still aren’t worth it.

AI features involve software improvements

Native TV hardware specs can’t be altered

When considering AI features, it’s helpful to remember how they work. Your TV’s hardware is made up of the display and physical electronic components, but your TV’s software deals with all kinds of processes that take place to render the image and navigate the operating system. You can’t change your TV’s hardware specifications unless you physically install new hardware. But software enhancements allow you to improve upon what physically exists. To an extent.

So AI may improve motion smoothing, for example, or resolution. Your TV may only have a native refresh rate of 60Hz or a native resolution of 1080p, but software can boost those specs to make it seem like they are better and closer to the next threshold. You won’t be able to achieve a 120Hz refresh rate or 4K resolution, but software can get it closer. Hardware are native specs that are absolute; software can make things look like they are almost native.

What these AI features are trying to do is improve upon existing software features that attempt to fix images on screen. Whether that was smoothing edges or increasing brightness or anticipating objects, AI is simply the next level in software fixes and image processing. It’s supposed to be better. And these fixes may indeed be subjectively better. But they can be difficult to perceive, especially if you’re comparing a brand new TV with one bought in the last year or two.

AI improvements are hard to notice

Differences in quality can be hard to spot

It’s important to remember that all kinds of software fixes have been around for a while; TV companies have been pushing different features that are aimed at improving the image on screen, using environmental markers and your own personal preferences to create dynamic video.

AI, in theory, improves upon these features because AI can make better, more informed decisions. Any software enhancement is essentially a guess as to what needs to be done to improve the entertainment experience. They were good guesses and now, with AI, the guesses are more educated. But it’s not clear how much better any enhancement or decision is now versus a year or two ago. There is no need to rush to get a new TV simply because it boasts AI features.

It’s most likely these improvements are miniscule, and it’ll be hard to really tell the difference if you’re comparing a new so-called AI TV with another similar model from the last few years that lacks the newest AI features. Comparing this year’s model with last year’s is always a tricky proposition.

AI features raise privacy concerns

Models are built on user information

By now it’s common knowledge that what is being referred to as an AI system is simply a Large Language Model. And these LLMS exist because of extensive training. They interact with humans in order to learn how to respond. LLMs are fed creative and informative works by humans and then just riff on that. They don’t create anything themselves, they just fabricate what was fed to them.

So AI systems want more data and in fact need to collect more data in order to improve. That’s why AI companies pay humans to work with their models; they pay humans now so that they can take their jobs later. So these AI features on your smart TV are created off of the work of humans.

That data collection is a privacy concern. If you’re using AI chatbots or AI voice search, that information is being collected, and a profile about you is being built. Your search, your voice clips, and your viewing habits are collected by your TV. That information can be valuble, especially when it comes to trying to sell you new products or services. And not only is your data being saved, but you’re helping train LLMs and not even getting compensated for it.

AI features aren’t necessary for most viewers

Usefulness depends on source material quality

Lastly, it’s important to remember that most of these features, while offering minute improvements on recent models, aren’t really designed for everyone. AI features are there to assist you when the source material or platform you’re using isn’t high quality.

For example, AI features can improve the visual quality of a sitcom from the 1970s, or if you’re watching an old DVD or even VHS. They can also help make better videos that are heavily compressed, like those from cheap or free streaming services. If a show was never made in 4K resolution, then it can never be natively enjoyed in 4K. But software enhancements can work to make it seem like it’s pretty close to 4K.

But if you use a 4K Blu-ray player, or stream titles from the highest quality tiers via an Ethernet cable, then these AI features aren’t likely going to do too much for you. They don’t really serve those who are watching the latest shows and movies; they are mainly helpful when your source material is questionable. Consider what you watch, and then think again about needing any AI support.