Attention Labs Wins 2026 CES Award for AI That Talks in Groups
At CES 2026, Attention Labs, a startup from Toronto, was awarded the CES Picks Award for demonstrating their innovative AI technology. What makes this AI special is its ability to participate in group conversations, knowing exactly when to listen, when to speak, and when to stay silent.
CES is one of the largest tech events globally, bringing together innovative companies and tech enthusiasts. Attention Labs’ demo stood out because it showed how their AI works in real-world situations—when multiple people are talking and there is background noise. Many AI systems struggle in such environments, but Attention Labs’ technology handled it seamlessly.
How the Demo Worked
During the live demonstration at CES, the AI, embedded in a robot, showcased its ability to identify who to listen to in a busy room. The robot didn’t simply respond to the loudest voice or whoever spoke first. Instead, it made smart decisions about when to speak and when to remain quiet, all without relying on cloud processing. Everything was handled directly on the device.
The AI demonstrated adaptability by focusing on the most relevant conversation and filtering out background noise. This is a significant breakthrough because most AI systems are designed to operate when only one person speaks at a time and struggle in noisy environments.
Why Is Selective Attention Important?
The secret to the success of this AI lies in a technique called “selective attention.” This means the AI doesn’t listen to every voice equally. Instead, it focuses on the person most relevant to the conversation at that moment. For example, if someone is giving a presentation and another person asks a question, the AI identifies the speaker and responds accordingly.
This approach is a huge improvement over other systems that may become confused in noisy environments. Selective attention helps the AI act like a human conversational participant—paying attention to the right speaker at the right time.
Real-World Use: How the AI Adapts to Noise
In everyday life, we often have conversations in noisy places, like offices or homes, where multiple people are speaking at once or where background sounds make it difficult to hear. Traditional AI systems struggle to keep up in such settings. However, Attention Labs’ AI works directly on the device, eliminating the need for cloud processing. This makes it faster and more reliable in real-time situations.
The AI’s ability to work on-device is particularly useful for smart devices and robots that need to function in noisy environments. Whether it’s in a meeting room with overlapping conversations or in a factory with background noise, the AI adapts and performs effectively in these challenging settings.
Collaboration with Hugging Face
This breakthrough was made possible through a partnership with Hugging Face, a leading company in AI and machine learning. Together, the two companies developed a system using attention models to help the AI interact in real-time. Hugging Face specializes in natural language processing (NLP), a field that helps machines understand human speech. By combining this technology with Attention Labs’ approach, they created an AI that can follow conversations more naturally and intuitively.
This collaboration highlights how different AI technologies can work together to enhance machine understanding and response, improving overall interaction quality.
The CES Picks Award
The CES Picks Awards recognize the most innovative and practical products presented at the event. These awards are chosen by the TechRadar team, who evaluate creativity and real-world use. Being selected for this prestigious award is a significant achievement, as it indicates the technology impressed experts in the field.
For Attention Labs, receiving the CES Picks Award places them among some of the biggest names in tech. This accomplishment shows the potential impact of their AI technology on the future of conversational systems.
What’s Next for Attention Labs?
Following the successful demo, Attention Labs shared their plans to implement their AI in various industries. The company is exploring how their technology could be integrated into robotics, smart devices, and edge AI systems.
Edge AI refers to AI systems that operate directly on devices like smartphones, smart speakers, and robots, without relying on the cloud. This makes the AI faster and more efficient. Attention Labs’ system could be deployed in a range of devices, from home assistants to industrial robots, making them more intelligent and user-friendly.
In the robotics sector, for instance, the AI could help robots navigate busy environments, such as offices or factories, where multiple people might speak at once. This would help robots focus on the most relevant person and understand their needs more effectively, enhancing their usefulness in these settings.
Smart devices like home assistants or smart TVs could also benefit from this AI. These devices often need to respond to voices in noisy rooms. Attention Labs’ technology would help these devices understand and respond to commands accurately, even in challenging environments.
The Future of AI in Conversations
The future of AI in group settings looks very promising, especially with innovations like Attention Labs’ new technology. As AI continues to evolve, we can expect more devices capable of managing conversations in real-world environments. Whether it’s a robot in a factory or a smart speaker in a living room, AI is becoming increasingly adept at understanding and responding to people in natural, human-like ways.
Attention Labs’ groundbreaking work shows that AI can adapt to complex environments, making it more useful in everyday life. Their CES award is just the beginning, and the company is well-positioned to shape the future of how AI interacts with humans.
