AI home appliances need substance, not stickers — TCL Industrial’s Lu Chunshui urges a return to fundamentals at AWE 2026

AI must deliver a qualitative leap, not just a label

At AWE 2026, where AI reportedly dominated the show floor, Lu Chunshui, president of TCL Industrial (TCL实业) China, argued that the industry's next move must be about meaningful user benefits rather than surface-level “AI” badges. “We hope these new smart appliances can deliver a qualitative leap in everyday experience,” Lu said, adding that without real improvements, the sector fails to justify the current wave of AI investment. The message was blunt and simple: can AI actually solve consumers’ pain points, or is it merely hype?

Products, integration and measurable targets

TCL Industrial and sister group TCL Technology (TCL科技) showcased a wide array of AI-enabled initiatives — from SQD‑Mini LED and printed OLED displays to AI glasses, companion robots and AI-integrated refrigerators, air conditioners and washer‑dryers. Official figures show TCL’s 2025 global TV shipments ranked second with a 14.7% share, and TCL led Mini LED TV shipments with a 31.1% share. The company says AI deployments across devices and manufacturing are expected to generate more than RMB 1 billion in comprehensive benefits as they push system‑level integration and user-model personalization rather than one-off features.

Market pressure makes fundamentals non-negotiable

That product-first argument comes as the wider appliance market cools. AVC (奥维云网) reports China’s TV retail volume in early 2026 was about 4.37 million units, down 7.6% year‑on‑year, with retail value falling to RMB 17.8 billion; TrendForce forecasts global TV shipments near 195 million units, a 0.6% decline. Against this backdrop — and amid broader geopolitical tensions and export controls reshaping global chip and component supply chains — Lu’s prescription is pragmatic: win on product and service, not on bluster or price cuts. If companies can truly raise user value and cascade flagship technologies into more affordable tiers, he argues, they can navigate cycles without sacrificing margins.