LAS VEGAS (AP) — With the start of the New Year almost behind us, it’s time again for the annual CES trade show to shine a light on the latest tech companies plan to deliver in 2026.
The multi-day event, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, kicks off this week in Las Vegas, where advances in industries such as robotics, healthcare, vehicles, wearables, gaming and more will be on display.
Artificial intelligence will be anchored in almost everything, again, as the tech industry explores the offerings that consumers will want to buy. AI industry heavyweight Jensen Huang will take the stage to showcase Nvidia’s latest productivity solutions, and AMD CEO Lisa Su will deliver the keynote to “share her vision to deliver future AI solutions.” Expect AI to appear in other keynotes, such as from Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang.
The AI industry is in full force tackling health problems, with a particular focus on changing individual health habits to treat conditions – such as Beyond Medicine’s prescription app focused on a specific jaw disorder – or addressing data gaps in topics such as breast milk production.
Expect more revelations around domestic robots as well. Korean tech giant LG has already announced that it will introduce a helper bot called “CLOiD” which will supposedly take care of a number of household tasks. Hyundai is also announcing a major push into robotics and manufacturing advances. Augmented reality, basically a virtual training ground for robots and other physical AIs, is also in the news around CES.
In 2025, more than 141,000 participants from more than 150 countries, regions and territories attended CES. Organizers are expecting roughly the same numbers for this year’s show, with more than 3,500 exhibitors on the floor this week.
The AP spoke with CTA Executive Chairman and CEO Gary Shapiro about what to expect for CES 2026. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
What are the main themes we can expect this week?
Well, we have plenty at this year’s show.
Obviously using AI in a way that makes sense to humans. We see a lot in robotics. More robots and humanoid-looking robots than we’ve ever had.
We also see longevity in health, there’s a lot of emphasis on that. All kinds of wearables for almost every part of the body. Technology is meeting healthcare gaps very quickly, and that’s great for everyone.
Mobility is high not only with self-driving vehicles, but also with boats and drones and all sorts of other modes of transportation. This is very important.
And of course, content creation is always huge.
Is 2026 the year we finally see humanoid robots in people’s homes?
See humanoid robots right now. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
But yes, there are more and more humanoid robots. And when we talk about CES 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now, we’re going to see an even bigger range of humanoid robots.
Obviously, last year we saw a lot of interest in them. The number one product of the show was a little robot dog that looks so real and fun and affectionate to people who need that kind of affection.
But of course, humanoid robots are only one aspect of this industry. There is a lot of specialization in creating bots, depending on what you want the bot to do. And robots can do a lot of things that humans can’t.
Will we start to see more innovative use of AI tools in entertainment?
AI is the future of creativity.
Certainly AI itself can be undoubtedly creative, but the human mind is so unique that you definitely get new ideas that way. So I think the future is more of a hybrid approach where content creators work with AI to create variations on a theme or better monetize what they have for a wider audience.
Interesting AI-powered devices or services that consumers will want to buy?
We see all sorts of different devices implementing AI. But we have a special focus on this show, for the first time, on the disabled community. Verizon has set this whole stage where we have all different ways to take this technology and help people with disabilities and seniors.
Worried about a potential AI bubble?
Well, there’s certainly no bubble when it comes to what AI can do. And what AI can do is work miracles and solve fundamental human problems in food production and clean air and clean water. Obviously, in healthcare, it will be overwhelming.
But that was like the internet itself. There was much talk of a bubble, and in fact it was a bubble. The difference is that in the late 1990s there were virtually no revenue models. Companies were raising a lot of money without revenue plans.
These AI companies have significant revenues today and companies are investing in them.
What concerns me more, frankly, is not Wall Street and a bubble. Others may be concerned about this. I’m worried about getting enough power to process all that AI. And at this show, for the first time, we have a Korean company presenting the first small-scale nuclear power generation device. We expect more and more of these people rushing to fill this gap because we need energy, we need it clean, and we need some kind of solution from above.