According to MacRumors, at CES 2026, Google announced it is bringing its Gemini AI to Google TV, starting with TCL devices before rolling out to other sets in the coming months. The new features include answering queries with a “visually rich framework” of images and videos, plus real-time sports updates. A “Deep Dives” feature will provide narrated, interactive overviews of topics. Users can search their Google Photos library, edit images with artistic styles, and generate slideshows or even new media using Nano Banana and Veo tools. Perhaps most practically, users can optimize TV settings with natural language, telling Gemini things like “the screen is too dim.” This all serves as a preview for what Apple TV could get, as Apple plans to use Google Gemini for some AI features, with a next-gen Apple TV expected with an A17 Pro chip and new Siri arriving around spring 2026.
The Good, The Gimmicky, and The Useful
So, let’s break this down. The voice-controlled settings adjustment? That’s a legitimately great idea. We’ve all fumbled with overly complex menus trying to fix a dark scene or muffled dialogue. Telling your TV “I can’t hear the dialogue” and having it just work is the kind of ambient, helpful AI that actually makes sense. It’s solving a real, frequent pain point.
But then you have the other stuff. AI-generated slideshows and reimagined personal photos on your big screen? I’m skeptical. It feels like a solution in search of a problem, or maybe just a flashy demo to show the chip can handle it. Do people really want to sit on the couch and prompt their TV to generate a “cinematic” version of their vacation pics? Maybe for a one-off family thing, but as a daily driver feature? I’m not convinced.
The Apple TV Preview
Here’s the thing: this Google TV announcement is arguably more interesting as a preview for Apple TV owners. Apple is licensing Gemini, and the next Apple TV is rumored to get a much more powerful A17 Pro chip capable of running Apple Intelligence. The parallels are obvious.
Imagine asking Siri on your Apple TV not just to play a show, but to “find all the scenes with this actor” or “show me funny blooper reels from this series.” Apple could use its deep integration with Photos and iCloud to do family photo searches and edits, but likely with a heavier privacy slant. And that voice-controlled settings optimization? That seems like a no-brainer for Apple to adopt. They love simplifying complex tech into simple voice commands.
The Hardware Is The Key
Now, there’s a big caveat to all this futuristic TV AI: hardware. These on-device AI features, especially generating or heavily editing images and video, require serious processing power and memory. The current Apple TV 4K uses an A15 Bionic chip. The rumored jump to an A17 Pro would be massive, specifically because of its much more capable Neural Engine. That’s not a cheap upgrade.
So the question becomes, will these advanced features be exclusive to a new, higher-end Apple TV model? And if so, what does that do to the price? Google has the advantage of spreading this across many TV brands and box makers. Apple’s walled garden approach could mean a more polished experience, but possibly at a higher cost of entry. It’s a classic Apple trade-off.
Basically, CES 2026 gave us a glimpse of the AI-powered living room. Some of it seems genuinely helpful, some of it feels like tech for tech’s sake. But the core idea—that your TV is about to get a whole lot smarter and more conversational—is clearly where things are headed. And if you’re an Apple user, your turn is probably coming soon.
