The New Battleground of AI

Large-screen TVs may have passed their peak—but the competition is shifting to a new arena. As reported by LeiKeJi (Lei Technology), Chinese brands including Hisense and TCL are leading an industry-wide shift from traditional hardware specs to AI-driven ecosystem reconstruction, aiming to open a second growth curve amid flatlining TV hardware sales. The core of this transition lies not in hardware parameters, but in transforming TVs from “content display devices” into “home AI interaction hubs.”

• Core actions: Manufacturers are collectively equipping TVs with on-device AI large models for real-time context understanding and multimodal interaction
• Driving logic: With hardware sales plateauing, software and services are being used to increase per-unit value and user stickiness
• Key trend: AI features are no longer add-ons but becoming standard in mid-to-high-end models
• Industry shift: Hardware specs ( resolution, refresh rate) are increasingly homogeneous, with AI conversational interaction emerging as the new differentiator

Three Paths to Redefining TV Functionality

Current manufacturers are focusing on three technical trajectories. First, on-device large model inference capability has become a watershed—the leading players have started deploying lightweight AI large models on TVs, enabling offline voice command execution and intelligent content recommendation. Second, multimodal perception systems are being upgraded: TVs now use camera and microphone arrays to detect user position, count, and gestures in real time, automatically adjusting screen size, sound field direction, and content recommendations. Third, cross-device collaboration is being redefined, with TVs positioned not as isolated devices but as home AI orchestrators coordinating smartphones, speakers, and IoT ecosystems.

A notable counterpoint emerges:尽管 (although) TV hardware specs (4K/8K, 120Hz+ refresh rate) are maturing, user expectations for “AI that really understands me” are outpacing厂商 (manufacturers’) capabilities. Industry internal data indicates over 65% of mid-to-high-end TV users cite “AI features that proactively understand needs” as their top purchase factor, far surpassing sensitivity to screen specifications. This marks a structural shift in product evaluation criteria—from “clear and fast” to “thoughtful and responsive.”

Supply Chain Synergy Grows

This AI reconstruction is not the work of individual manufacturers alone. Upstream chipmakers are accelerating定制 (customization) of AI NPU (Neural Processing Unit) modules, delivering edge inference capabilities under 5 TOPS with low power consumption. Panel makers are concurrently developing “privacy-first” physical camera shutters to enable smart sensing while addressing user privacy concerns. Meanwhile, content ecosystem partners (including video platforms and short-video services) are designing TV-native AI interaction flows—not merely porting mobile logic—to ensure seamless smart experiences.

This synergy is giving rise to a new product narrative: hardware specs are no longer the primary marketing focus, replaced instead by concrete AI capability descriptions such as “1-second voice response,” “3-person auto-screen partitioning,” and “brightness adjusted based on user facial expressions.” As screen parameters become table stakes, AI interaction fluency and accuracy are becoming the new moats.

Practical Buying Advice

Consumers should watch for two things. First, be wary of “pseudo-AI” TVs relying solely on cloud-based large models—they lose core functionality offline, whereas on-device solutions, despite higher costs, achieve response delays under 200ms. Second, prioritize physical camera shutter design and voice command library coverage—the former ensures long-term privacy confidence, the latter determines daily usability. If you value stable (AI features always available) and privacy-first experiences, consider established models available 6+ months; if you prefer cutting-edge interaction and welcome minor iterative improvements, recent flagship launches merit attention.

Final Thoughts

The AI competition among TV makers reflects a deeper fusion between content industries and hardware engineering. Success will hinge on truly closing the “perception-understanding-response” loop—not merely voice-controlled power on/off. When the hardware race ends, the era of software-defined TVs truly begins.