At CES 2026, Toronto-based startup Attention Labs captured industry attention by securing a CES Picks Award from TechRadar Pro. The recognition followed a live and unscripted demonstration that showcased a new class of conversational AI designed to operate naturally in group discussions. This addressed the long-standing challenge for voice-enabled systems.
Moving Beyond One-Voice AI
Most conversational AI tools are built around a simple assumption: one person speaks at a time. Attention Labs challenged that limitation head-on. Their system demonstrated the ability to function in realistic and chaotic environments where multiple people talk simultaneously, and voices overlap with unavoidable background noise. Rather than breaking down under these conditions, the AI maintained conversational awareness and behaved like an attentive participant.
Inside the Live Demonstration
During the event, the AI was presented through a robotic embodiment and placed into an active group setting. Without any scripting or predefined cues, the system decided who to listen to, when to respond, and when silence was the appropriate choice. These decisions were not based on volume or timing alone but on contextual relevance within the conversation.
All processing happened locally on the device, with no cloud dependency. This on-device architecture allowed the AI to react instantly, even in noisy environments where latency or connectivity issues would normally disrupt performance.
Selective Attention as the Core Innovation
The “Selective Attention” framework is the heart of Attention Labs’ technology. Instead of treating every voice equally, the AI continuously evaluates conversational importance and prioritizes speakers and topics in real time. This mirrors how humans naturally follow discussions and shift focus as conversations evolve.
Based on the attention-driven approach, the system avoids common pitfalls such as interrupting speakers, responding out of turn, or reacting to irrelevant background chatter.
Built for the Real World, Not the Lab
The demo emphasized practicality over perfection. The AI was tested in conditions that often expose the weaknesses of traditional voice systems, such as crowd noise, overlapping dialogue, spontaneous interaction, etc. Running fully on-device also improves privacy, reliability, and speed. This makes the technology suitable for environments where cloud access is limited or undesirable.
Partnership with Hugging Face
Attention Labs collaborated with Hugging Face to bring this demonstration to life. Hugging Face is a leading company in natural language processing and machine learning, specializing in tools that help AI understand and generate human language. The partnership illustrates how cutting-edge research frameworks can translate into real-time systems that work outside controlled settings.
Why the CES Picks Award Matters
The CES Picks Awards highlight technologies that balance innovation with real-world relevance. Selected by TechRadar editors, the awards recognize solutions that are technically impressive and also ready for practical adoption. Attention Labs’ inclusion places the startup alongside established global players and signals strong confidence in the commercial potential of its approach.
Potential Applications on the Horizon
Following CES, Attention Labs revealed that it is in discussions around pilot deployments across several domains. Robotics is a natural fit, particularly for machines operating in offices, factories, or public spaces where multiple people may issue commands at once. Smart devices could also benefit from improved conversational awareness. Edge AI systems stand to gain from the low-latency and privacy-friendly nature of on-device processing.
Shaping the Future of Group-Aware AI
Conversational AI is becoming more embedded in daily life, so the ability to function in shared and noisy environments will be critical. Attention Labs’ CES 2026 demonstration suggests a shift away from turn-based interaction toward systems that can participate in human conversations.
The CES Picks Award marks an important milestone and signals a broader evolution in how AI listens, understands, and responds. For Attention Labs, this recognition may be the first step toward redefining conversational intelligence in the real world.