"Lego," the Danish toy giant, introduced an innovation hailed as the "most revolutionary in nearly 50 years," called "Smart Bricks" at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026. The company stated this technology will bring the blocks to life by enabling them to emit light, produce sound, and respond to movement. Meanwhile, child play experts have cautioned that this may diminish the appeal of classic imaginative block building.
Lego, the Danish toy company, unveiled the product “Smart Bricks,” building blocks embedded with technology that can respond to sound, light, and motion at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. This is part of the “Smart Play” system, which integrates electronic components into traditional plastic blocks. The company describes it as the most transformative innovation in nearly 50 years and plans to release it in March with a Star Wars-themed set.
At the core of the Smart Play system is a 2x4 block that looks normal on the outside but contains motion sensors, a special processing chip, a small speaker, and LED lights inside. This block can detect position, distance, and rotation to generate different interactive responses.
There are also Smart Minifigures (intelligent characters) and Smart Tags (digital identity plates) with digital ID codes. When played together, they create impressive simulated events, such as a Lego birthday cake where children’s "blowing out candles" is recognized and triggers cheering sounds and the Happy Birthday song. A Lego helicopter emits rotor sounds when lifted to fly, and if a Smart Brick experiences a "crash," it instantly changes color to red.
Despite being an exciting innovation, Josh Golin, director of child welfare group Fairplay, views it as a double-edged sword. He said, "Lego's charm lies in children using their imagination to create sounds and movements themselves, and adding digital features could diminish that creative power."
Similarly, Professor Andrew Munchies from the University of Edinburgh acknowledged the advancement but raised concerns about safety and data privacy, especially regarding smart toys in the AI era, which may impact children’s daily lives.
Julia Goldin, Lego's Chief Product and Marketing Officer, affirmed that the company views digital technology as an opportunity to "expand the boundaries of play" rather than a threat. This technology seamlessly connects with physical building to surprise and inspire children to play longer.
In the 2024 annual report, Lego’s CEO Niels B. Christiansen stated the company is accelerating investment in digital technology as a core strategy to drive its business forward.
Lego plans to launch the first Smart Play sets in March this year, starting with the Star Wars theme. This is part of a strong push into the digital market following previous successes collaborating with Nintendo and Epic Games.
. BBC