Haier is putting AI to work on the chores you barely think about 

This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Haier

Haier brought its “Home of Intelligent Possibilities” vision to IFA 2026, showcasing products across laundry, refrigeration, cooking, dishwashing, televisions and floorcare. AI, sensors and connected technology featured across the range, but the more interesting question was what those systems actually did. In many cases, they were being used to help appliances recognise what was happening and make adjustments without requiring another instruction from the user. 

A washing machine could assess its load before starting a cycle. A refrigerator could recognise food and use that information to support preservation. An oven could identify what was being cooked and respond as the food changed. Across the portfolio, Haier was putting more of the decision-making inside the appliance. 

The washing machine got better at reading the load 

Laundry is a chore where the instructions are simple and the load rarely is. Different fabrics, colours and quantities can turn a straightforward cycle into a series of small decisions, from choosing the right programme to working out how much detergent is needed. 

Haier’s Vision 15 Collection used AI Vision Sense to monitor the load through a camera in the door, while the AI Power Sense System combined nine sensors to track factors including weight, balance, water level and temperature, detergent dosing and drum movement. AI Memory could learn preferred settings over time. 

The technology was aimed at making each wash more precise rather than simply adding an AI feature to the machine. A load with different requirements could be handled differently, with the potential for better garment care, fewer mistakes and more efficient use of resources. 

Haier’s Multi Care Laundry Studio tackled a different part of the laundry routine. Four independent drums, including a 10kg washer, two 1kg drums and an 8kg dryer, were fitted into a single 598mm-deep system, allowing smaller loads to run independently instead of waiting for a larger wash to finish. 

More computing does not have to mean a less reliable appliance 

Adding cameras, sensors and more sophisticated computing inevitably puts more technology into products that are expected to work reliably for years. Haier said it was addressing that at the design stage rather than treating AI as something added on afterwards. 

Hardware, sensors, software and algorithms are developed as one integrated system, with reliability and durability built into the process. The expectation from the person using the appliance remains the same: consistent performance over time. Haier’s aim is for the technology to handle the additional complexity without passing it on to the user. 

Your refrigerator started to understand what it was storing 

A refrigerator has always known how cold it should be. It has not necessarily known what it is keeping cold. Haier’s Horizon Collection used cameras, AI and a food database through its Hydro Hub and AI Food Care System to recognise food, consider shelf life and recommend where items should be stored. The range also included a rapid-chill area for bottles and cans, an automatically refilling carafe and integrated sparkling water with three carbonation levels. 

Maestro, still a prototype, took the concept further. Its AI Defrost Zone was designed to defrost 200 grams of meat in 10 minutes, while AI Food Care System 2.0 could recognise refrigerator contents, recommend preservation and support stock management. 

The food systems shown at IFA drew on Haier’s work across connected appliances, sensors, computer vision and food management. In the refrigerator, AI Food Care connected recognition of stored food with the conditions inside the appliance. In the ID Ultimate Series 6 oven, AI Vision and the Bionicook approach used visual recognition to identify food, monitor the cooking process and adapt the appliance. Haier did not disclose the architecture or development data behind its proprietary AI models but said its R&D work focused on making recognition reliable in real household conditions and turning it into useful actions such as better preservation, optimized cooking and reduced food waste. 

The kitchen became an ecosystem 

Haier’s ID Ultimate Series 6 brought the oven, hob and hood together, with AI Vision in the oven recognising food and monitoring its progress, the induction hob recognising pan positions and adjusting power, and the connected hood responding to gestures while adjusting its lighting. The Aura Collection gave the oven, hob, hood and microwave a shared design language, while the I-Pro Shine dishwasher used sensors and algorithms to assess the load and adjust water, temperature, duration and energy, with IntelliDose handling detergent dosing automatically. Rather than simply connecting several appliances, Haier was trying to reduce the number of decisions required during a meal, allowing the appliances to respond to what was happening instead of relying entirely on preset instructions. 

The television adjusted itself to what was on screen 

Haier’s UltraSense AI platform analysed images and sound and adjusted parameters in real time. AI Cinema could recognise scenes and change colour, contrast, depth, HDR, definition and motion. AI Sound worked on voice separation and frequency balance, while AI Game could adjust refresh behaviour and reduce lag and tearing. AI Eye Caring responded to ambient light and content. 

Haier’s approach was deliberately cautious about processing. A film, football match and videogame have different requirements, but the company did not want those adjustments to produce an artificial-looking image. UltraSense AI was designed to improve precision, balance and naturalness without allowing processing to become the focus of the picture. 

Selected models also featured sound developed with KEF. The wider range included QD-Mini LED, QLED Mini LED Ultra, QLED, OLED, RGB Mini LED and SQD display technologies, with sizes reaching 163 inches. 

Even the smaller appliances were learning preferences 

Automatic dirt detection in the I-Pro Clean Series 5 could adjust cleaning behaviour according to the floor, while the R5 robot used cameras, AI and navigation to recognise obstacles and dirt. Its docking station handled charging, emptying, water management and mop washing. The I-Master Specialty Coffee Machine 5 brought personalisation to another everyday routine, with more than 30 hot and cold drinks and controls for intensity, aroma and length while the machine managed the brewing parameters. It could also learn those preferences over time, giving Haier another way to reduce the amount of input needed for repetitive tasks around the home. 

AI is expected to move beyond flagship appliances 

Most of the more advanced AI capabilities in Haier’s IFA portfolio appeared in higher-end products, but the company does not see intelligent features as something that should remain confined to its flagship range. 

Haier said its premium products provide a way to introduce advanced technologies and demonstrate their value. As those solutions mature, become scalable and prove useful, they can be extended across a wider part of the portfolio. The company does not expect every category or price point to receive identical features, however. The technology still needs to make sense for the product and improve the experience at that particular level. 

The smart home is getting better at doing the thinking 

Haier’s “Home of Intelligent Possibilities” vision came through in the way its appliances handled everyday tasks at IFA. Its “More Creation, More Possibilities” manifesto puts the focus on using technology to expand what people can do without adding complexity to their lives. 

The more convincing examples were the ones where AI had a practical job to do. A washing machine could interpret a load, a refrigerator could use what it knew about its contents to support food preservation, and a television could adjust its picture according to what was being watched. If those systems can deliver better results without demanding more attention from the person using them, AI starts to feel less like another feature and more like a useful part of the appliance. 

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