What’s Exciting at CES 2026? The Rise of LEGO Smart Play, AI Toys, and Nerd Bait

CES 2026 is a wrap, but a handful of reveals still feel aimed straight at geek culture. From LEGO’s Smart Play tech and its Star Wars debut to AI “character” pedestals and retro-friendly gaming gear, here’s what looked most tempting, and what still needs a healthy dose of skepticism.

CES 2026 and Pop CultureNot every tech event needs reporting on, and with the CES 2026 show being debated on, it’s time to decide! Not everything is worth needing and the big talk is certainly on one thing: LEGO’s new Smart Play tech is shaping up to be a dream come true for TRON enthusiasts, especially when you think about how some past interactive concepts could be resurrected. That said, with Star Wars carrying far more mainstream momentum, it’s no surprise the first sets using this technology will land there before anywhere else.

These bricks are getting embedded microchips designed to trigger sound effects and blinking lights when placed near one another. At the show, the company staged a massive Death Star trench run experience in front of The Sphere, where visitors could “fly” a LEGO X-Wing in an attempt to destroy it. One can only imagine the sound, and the chaos, if crashing into the structure had been allowed. The cleanup alone would have been legendary. But only time will tell which other licensed properties will get smarter.

It’s an exciting prospect, but it also raises the question: what other electronic releases are out there to whet a geek’s appetite?

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AI Actors Aren’t Truly 100% Human — Tilly Norwood Is No Rising Star

Ari Folman’s The Congress foresaw the rise of digital actors. Today, AI-generated “stars” like Tilly Norwood demand new guardrails. Without disclosure, consent, and compensation, real performers risk being replaced by code.

AI-generated digital actress Tilly Norwood inspired by The CongressAnyone who has seen The Congress knows it was ahead of its time. Now, AI-generated digital actress Tilly Norwood brings that vision to life, almost prophetically. In Ari Folman’s film, Al (easily read as AI) represents Robin Wright in a near-future scenario where she sells her likeness to a studio; a computer system carries on her career, and she is no longer allowed to act. Today, as more actors license their faces and voices for digital reproduction, Norwood’s rise signals a turning point—raising questions about authenticity, creativity, and the future of performing arts.

Actor Eline Van der Velden calls Norwood a “creation… an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role or shaping a performance.” Yet in a different article, she adds, “We want Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman… economic issues are driving the movie and TV business toward AI production.” Which is it—a harmless experiment, or a cost-cutting replacement for human performers?

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Decoding that “Glitch In The Matrix” The Documentary

As for where our reality rests, the documentary also compares this life to video games, like The Sims. The folks looking for a restart or thinking they can get away with breaking ethical codes got a rude awakening (as one segment about Joshua Cooke showed) and perhaps it’s because nobody can unfollow the Ten Commandments.

Glitch in the MatrixBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Premiered at Sundance 2021

Limited Theatrical Screening & Available On Demand Beginning Feb 5, 2021

Are we living in a simulation? The question raised decades ago by celebrated author Philip K Dick was never fully answered. The debate is ongoing and fiercely explored in Rodney Ascher’s fascinating documentary Glitch in the Matrix–and no it’s not about all the bugs in Cyberpunk 2077 that still needs patching. The whole program, according to multiple sources, is simply bugged!

Because this filmmaker includes respected names from the literary and science fiction community, the ideas presented in this 108 minute work aren’t necessarily far-fetched. Or perhaps, Francis Bacon’s Four Idols of the Mind makes more sense. I recognize a bit of his theory seeping into this documentary about altered realities, sentient machines, what we represent in this system (are we programs or independent thinkers?), and if we can escape from it.

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