9 trends you need to watch at CES 2017, from 'AI' assistants to 'AR' devices

It started out in your phone. You would ask Siri to tell you the weather report or a silly joke. But artificial intelligence and digital assistants are no laughing matter: They are likely the way most Americans will experience the Internet of Things (IoT) explosion, and are finally a cheap and easy way for mere mortals to automate their homes as only the wealthy once could. Last year Amazon brought its AI Alexa to homes, but next year it's going to be in your home. Cheap and affordable voice-controlled artificial intelligences like Amazon's Alexa and Google's Home are going to be everywhere, and you'll see that in spades at CES. You'll hear from companies like Neura that "enhance products with AI." You'll read about it when you hear about Ara by Kolibree, the world's first toothbrush with embedded AI. (My brain hurts thinking about that.)