Artificial intelligence is in everything these days. AI in a vacuum isn't entirely new, but both Shark and Dyson have launched new AI-powered robot vacuums in the last month, bringing a fresh take to the field. The Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal ($1,300) and the Dyson Spot+Stain Ai ($1,200) both promise to use AI to find stains and spots on your hard floors that need to be scrubbed away instead of just passed over a single time. With such similar promises, I had to know: Is one better than the other, both at spotting stains and at overall robot vacuum cleaning ?

I unleashed both on two floors of my home to see which one did better job of cleaning. I set up a few intentional obstacles, from placing cereal in tricky corners to intentionally creating stains. It's similar to how I comparison-test stick vacuums , but stain spotting and corner reaches are my biggest focus for these two similar vacuums. While both robot vacuums did well, time and time again, the Shark was able to pull itself a little ahead.…