CES 2026 is officially underway in Las Vegas, and the big theme for Amazon this year isn’t about more screens or gadgets. Instead, they are showing off what they call “ambient AI.” The idea is that technology should be there when you need it and basically disappear when you don’t.

Keeping an Eye on the Neighborhood

One of the most practical updates comes from Ring. They are launching a feature called Fire Watch within the Neighbors section of their app. It’s designed to give people a head start during fast-moving fires.

By working with Watch Duty, Ring cameras can now analyze video for signs of smoke or fire. This allows “Ring camera owners to share snapshots while cameras analyze video for visual signs of smoke or fire.” It’s a smart use of tech that focuses on community safety rather than just catching a package thief.

They are also moving away from some of the annoying parts of smart home setups. New sensors built on Amazon Sidewalk will offer “always-on protection without Wi-Fi range limits, hubs, or base stations.” This means fewer connection headaches for people with larger yards or thick walls.

Smarter Entertainment

On the entertainment side, Amazon is trying to fix the “scroll forever” problem. They’ve redesigned the Fire TV interface to be up to 30% faster. The new look organizes things by movies, shows, and sports, so you can see everything you pay for in one spot.

They are also jumping into the “art TV” world with the Amazon Ember Artline. It’s a 4K TV with a matte screen that looks like a painting when you aren’t watching a show, similar to Samsung’s Frame TVs. It comes with “access to over 2,000 pieces of free art, and AI-powered recommendations that match artwork to your room’s décor.”

Small helpers

There’s also a new wearable called Bee. It’s meant to learn your daily habits and offer help before you even ask. Along with a smarter Alexa+, the goal seems to be making our devices feel less like demanding tools and more like helpful assistants that finally know when to be quiet.