A creepy AI companion nobody requested for

[ad_1] <img class="e_jg" decoding="async" loading="eager" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="razer project ava hands on ces 6" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Razer Project AVA on a desk." src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-6-scaled.jpg"/> Joe Maring / Android Authority

It’s not a correct CES if I haven’t seen not less than one gadget that’s left me scratching my head and reconsidering my life selections. For CES 2026, I skilled that in my demo session of Razer’s Challenge Ava.

Challenge Ava was first teased eventually 12 months’s CES, and on the time, it was being marketed as a semi-serious AI gaming assistant. The thought was that Ava would monitor your gaming efficiency to supply real-time suggestions and training, serving to you enhance throughout just about any title.

However quick ahead to 2026, and Challenge Ava has taken an … attention-grabbing flip. It nonetheless supplies suggestions throughout your gaming periods, however it’s now taken the type of an anime woman trapped in a cylinder speaker with suggestive/flirty undertones. If that sounds creepy and unsettling, that’s as a result of it's.

From a technical perspective, Challenge Ava is pretty attention-grabbing. The hologram initiatives a roughly 5.5-inch display to your anime companion to be displayed. Razer markets it as a 3D hologram, although to my eye it regarded like a fairly flat (however sharp) 2D picture. A digicam on the entrance of Challenge Ava can interpret the world round it (solely once you give it permission), and there are bodily quantity and mute buttons on the highest.

<img class="e_jg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="razer project ava hands on ces 1" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-1000w-562h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Razer Project AVA sitting on a desk." src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-1-scaled.jpg"/> Kira companion <img class="e_jg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="razer project ava hands on ces 2" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-1000w-562h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Razer Project AVA sitting on a desk, showing its male avatar option." src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-2-scaled.jpg"/> Zane companion The anime woman’s identify is Kira, and she or he’s one in all 5 “companions” you possibly can work together with. Kira and the opposite companions have been all designed by Animation Inc., the identical firm that created Grok’s AI avatars. Razer says you’ll be capable to use Challenge Ava with any AI mannequin of your selection, however throughout my demo session, Ava was (very fittingly) powered by Grok.

In observe, interacting with Challenge Ava diversified from superb to unhealthy to downright awkward. When requested concerning the greatest information tales from CES 2026, Ava talked about Lego’s new Sensible Brick and even supplied its sales space location right here at CES. Useful, however nothing you possibly can’t do with Gemini or ChatGPT in your cellphone.

<img class="e_jg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="razer project ava hands on ces 8" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Razer Project AVA computer software app." src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-8-scaled.jpg"/> Joe Maring / Android Authority

Desktop app for controlling Challenge Ava settings

I then requested Ava a few questions on attachments I ought to use for a gun in Battlefield 6. It was neat to ask, “Which sight ought to I take advantage of for medium-to-long-range fight?” and have Ava instantly analyze all of the choices within the sport menu and inform me what to select. That stated, I’d argue that its advice of a 1.5x scope for medium- to long-range was questionable at finest.

Past the accuracy of Challenge Ava’s solutions, I couldn’t fairly recover from the expertise of speaking to an AI bot that’s so clearly making an attempt to create a bond/relationship with you. The Kira companion I used for my demo typically giggled via solutions, referred to the Razer worker demonstrating Ava as “badge buddy” after seeing his CES badge, and usually got here throughout as precisely what you’d count on from a stereotypical waifu.

<img class="e_jg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="razer project ava hands on ces 10" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Razer Project AVA." src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/razer-project-ava-hands-on-ces-10-scaled.jpg"/> Joe Maring / Android Authority

Even Razer’s personal advertising pushes this uncomfortable thought of bonding somewhat too carefully with Challenge Ava. Razer refers to Ava as a “Buddy for Life,” and one thing that can “bridge the hole between digital help and bodily companionship by offering a 24/7 digital accomplice that lives proper alongside the consumer.” Within the promo video above, Razer exhibits somebody addressing Challenge Ava as “cutie.”

Name me loopy, however I don’t suppose we ought to be encouraging individuals to see synthetic intelligence as a buddy or companion. AI ought to be a software for aiding with work, identical to a photograph modifying app, e-mail shopper, and many others. — not one thing you’re inspired to flirt with. And but!

Challenge Ava doesn’t have a agency launch date, however Razer is aiming to launch it someday within the second half of 2026. Last pricing continues to be TBD, however you possibly can reserve a unit now with a refundable $20 deposit.

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