{
  "id": 18902221,
  "title": "Just 2% of Tom's Guide readers want AI in earbuds & headphones — so why do audio brands like Apple, Samsung and Soundcore keep pushing it on us?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/just-2-of-toms-guide-readers-want-ai-in-earbuds-headphones-so-why-do",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-11-08T09:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Guide",
    "slug": "tom-s-guide",
    "url": "https://www.tomsguide.com/audio/just-2-percent-of-toms-guide-readers-want-ai-in-earbuds-and-headphones-so-why-do-audio-brands-like-apple-samsung-and-soundcore-keep-pushing-it-on-us"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent Tom's Guide survey reveals that only 2% of readers desire AI features in earbuds and headphones, despite audio brands persistently marketing such technology. The overwhelming majority of respondents prioritize sound quality, with 135 votes, followed by active noise cancellation (ANC) with 27 votes. This disconnect between consumer preferences and brand strategies prompts the question: why do companies continue pushing AI features despite clear lack of demand?",
  "summary": "Results are in: just 2% of Tom's Guide readers buy earbuds and headphones because of AI features. So why do audio brands think we want them?",
  "key_points": [
    "Only 2% of Tom's Guide readers want AI features in earbuds/headphones.",
    "Audio brands like Apple, Samsung, and Soundcore persistently market AI technology.",
    "Consumers prioritize sound quality over AI features, as shown by 135 votes."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}