AI Takes Centre Stage at CES 2026: What You Need to Know
CES 2026 in Las Vegas has become a milestone event for artificial intelligence, signalling major shifts in how AI will be built, deployed and experienced. This year’s announcements show AI evolving from software on screens into powerful infrastructure, physical machines and everyday devices.
1. AI Compute Power Surges with Next-Gen Platforms
One of the biggest stories at CES was the launch of next-generation AI computing platforms. Nvidia revealed its Vera Rubin platform, a fully integrated system combining new CPUs, GPUs and networking to deliver much higher AI performance at lower cost. It promises significant improvements for running and training large models, helping companies reduce energy use and scale AI workloads more efficiently.
AMD introduced its Helios rack-scale architecture, offering enormous compute capacity for training trillion-parameter models. These advances enable cloud providers, research labs and enterprises to tackle AI challenges faster than ever.
Industry impact: With hardware barriers falling, more companies can access high-performance AI, widening the competitive field and accelerating innovation in generative AI, scientific discovery, and real-time applications.
2. “Physical AI” and Robotics Move to the Forefront
CES highlighted AI moving into the physical world. Nvidia emphasised “physical AI,” applying models trained in simulations to robots that can operate in real environments. Open robotics frameworks, vision-language models, and reasoning tools are helping robots understand and navigate the world.
Robotics leaders, including Boston Dynamics, showcased humanoid machines capable of complex tasks, moving from prototypes toward real-world deployment.
Industry impact: Robotics combined with AI promises productivity gains in logistics, healthcare, manufacturing and construction. Autonomous helpers could soon transform how physical work is done, from warehouses to hospitals.
3. AI in Everyday Devices and Smart Experiences
Consumer AI featured strongly. Lenovo launched Qira, a voice assistant that personalises interactions across laptops, phones and wearables. Samsung and LG showcased AI-powered smart products (from TVs to in-vehicle systems) offering personalised safety, entertainment and contextual insights.
Industry impact: AI adoption will accelerate as devices become more context-aware. Smarter home tech, vehicles and wearables will raise expectations for intuitive, adaptive experiences.
4. AI for Autonomous Mobility and Industry Partnerships
AI’s reach went beyond gadgets. Autonomous vehicle technology featured prominently, with AI-driven systems powering robotaxis and assisted driving. Some companies aim to bring autonomous fleets to roads by 2027.
Industrial brands like Caterpillar demonstrated AI-integrated machinery that enhances safety, predictive insights and operational efficiency.
Industry impact: AI will reshape mobility and heavy industry, creating safer, more efficient operations and new business opportunities.
Looking Ahead
CES 2026 shows AI moving from novelty to business-critical technology. As infrastructure becomes more powerful, AI enters physical environments and everyday devices, and companies that adopt it strategically will unlock efficiency, innovation and new revenue streams. The next wave of advantage will come from using AI effectively, responsibly and at scale.
Sara thank you for sharing — great overview of how CES 2026 confirms AI’s shift from “cool demos” to core infrastructure and real-world execution.
What stands out most is the convergence: compute at scale, physical AI/robotics, and embedded intelligence in everyday devices all maturing at the same time. That combination is what turns AI from a feature into a competitive moat.
The real differentiator now won’t be who has AI, but who can deploy it responsibly, integrate it into operations, and extract sustained business value. The next 24–36 months will be decisive for companies that get this right.