LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sure, Nvidia, AMD and Intel all had big announcements about AI chips and platforms on the first day of CES 2026, but all audiences wanted to see was more about Star Wars and Jensen Huang’s little robot friends.
CES is a huge opportunity every year for companies big and small to show off the products they plan to hit shelves this year. And as predicted, artificial intelligence has been anchored in just about everything as tech firms continue to look for AI products to attract customers.
AP was on the ground checking out booths and covering big announcements, so here’s a recap of the highlights we saw on day one of CES.
Nvidia gets physical
The biggest buzzword in the air at CES is “physical AI,” Nvidia’s term for AI models that are trained in a virtual environment using “synthetic” computer-generated data, then implemented as physical machines once they’ve mastered their purpose.
CEO Jensen Huang introduced Cosmos, an AI foundation model trained on massive data sets capable of simulating environments governed by real physics. He also announced Alpamayo, an AI model designed specifically for autonomous driving. Huang revealed that Nvidia’s next-generation AI superchip platform, called Vera Rubin, is in full production and that Nvidia has a new partnership with Siemens. All this shows that Nvidia will fight against increased competition to maintain its reputation as the backbone of the AI industry.
But once Huang summoned two little robots, a singer and a chirper, to join him on stage, that’s all the audience wanted to see more of.
Chips are back in town
AMD CEO Lisa Su announced a new line of Ryzen AI processors as the company continues to expand its footprint in the world of AI-powered personal computers.
For gamers, AMD also introduced the latest version of its gaming-focused processor, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D.
Meanwhile, Intel announced its new AI chip for laptops, Panther Lake (also known as Intel Core Ultra Series 3), and said the company plans to launch a new platform to address a growing market for portable video gaming machines.
Intel, a Silicon Valley pioneer that enjoyed decades of growth as its processors fueled the personal computer boom, fell into a slump after missing the move to the mobile computing era unleashed by the iPhone. It lagged behind after the AI boom propelled Nvidia into the limelight.
President Donald Trump’s administration recently stepped in to secure a 10 percent stake in the company, making the government one of Intel’s largest shareholders. Federal officials said they invested in Intel to support American technology and domestic manufacturing.
Uber is jumping back into the robotaxi game
Uber is giving the public a first look at their robotaxi at CES this week. Uber, along with luxury electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors and vehicle technology company Nuro, has introduced an autonomous vehicle with an Uber-designed in-cabin experience.
Uber calls it the most luxurious robotaxi yet. It features cameras, sensors and radars that provide 360-degree perception and a low-profile roof ‘halo’ with integrated LEDs that will display drivers’ initials to help them identify their car and track the status of their ride. Inside, riders can customize everything from the climate and heated seats to the music, while real-time visuals show exactly what the vehicle sees on the road and the route it plans to take.
Autonomous road tests began last month in San Francisco led by Nuro, marking a major step toward what the companies said was a planned rollout before the end of the year.
Star Wars and Lego announce new partnership
When Lucasfilm creative director David Filoni unveiled a series of X-Wing pilots, Chewbacca, R2D2 and C-3PO, he won Star Wars fandom over to Lego.
Lego on Monday announced its Lego Smart Play platform, which introduces new smart bricks, tags and special minifigures for your collection. The new bricks contain sensors that allow them to sense light and distance and provide a series of responses, essentially lights and sounds, when used in unison.
Combine this with a recently announced partnership with the Star Wars franchise and now you can create your own interactive battles and light saber duels.
LG unveils a new robot to help at home
File it under intrigued for now.
The Korean tech giant on Monday gave the media a look at its humanoid robot, which is designed to handle household chores such as folding laundry and picking up groceries. While many companies have robots on display at CES, LG is certainly one of the biggest tech companies that has promised to put a service robot into homes.
It’ll be on display — and we’re guessing it’ll demonstrate some of the claimed abilities — starting Tuesday, so we’ll have more to report soon.
What’s new with lollipops?
Music you can taste was on display at CES on Monday: Lollipop Star unveiled a candy that plays music while you eat it. The company says it uses something called “bone induction technology,” which lets you hear songs — like tracks from Ice Spice and Akon — through the lollipop as you lick it or bite into the back of your mouth, according to spokeswoman Cassie Lawrence.
The musical lollipops will go on sale after CES on Lollipop Star’s website for $8.99 each. And if that wasn’t enough star power, Akon was expected to visit the company’s booth on Tuesday when CES opens to the public.
Atlas supports the (manufacturing) world of Hyundai
Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics has publicly demonstrated its Atlas humanoid robot for the first time at the CES tech show, intensifying a competition with Tesla and other rivals to build robots that look like people and do things that people do.
The company said a version of the robot that will help assemble the cars is already in production and will be deployed by 2028 at Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing facility near Savannah, Georgia.
The delta becomes spherical
Delta Air Lines takes entertainment to new heights as the “Official Airline” of the Las Vegas Sphere. The airline has announced a new multi-year partnership with Sphere Entertainment Co. which it says will provide premium experiences to the venue, including a Delta SKY360° Club lounge.
The carrier said SkyMiles members can unlock exclusive access to other experiences at the Sphere, starting with the final weekend of the Backstreet Boys residency in February, with features including private seating, food and drinks. The partnership brings Delta branding to the Sphere’s massive exterior LED screen. Delta says more exclusive SkyMiles experiences will roll out in 2026 and beyond.