LAS VEGAS (AP) — With the start of the New Year upon us once again, it’s time once again for the annual CES trade show to spotlight the latest technology companies plan to offer in 2026.
The multi-day event, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, begins this week in Las Vegas, where advances in industries such as robotics, healthcare, vehicles, wearables, gaming and more are expected to be on display.
Artificial intelligence will be anchored in almost everything, once again, as the technology industry explores the offerings that consumers will want to buy. AI industry heavyweight Jensen Huang will be taking the stage to showcase Nvidia’s latest productivity solutions, and AMD CEO Lisa Su will be on hand to “share her vision for delivering future AI solutions.” Expect AI to emerge in other keynotes, such as from Lenovo’s CEO, Yuanqing Yang.
The AI industry is working hard to address issues in healthcare, with a particular focus on changing individual health habits to treat conditions — such as Beyond Medicine’s prescription app focused on a particular jaw disorder — or addressing data gaps in topics such as breast milk production.
Expect more reveals around pet robots as well. The Korean tech giant LG has already announced that it will show a helper bot named “CLOiD”, which will allegedly take care of a range of household tasks. Hyundai is also announcing a big push on robotics and manufacturing advances. Augmented reality, basically a virtual training ground for robots and other physical AI, is also in the buzz around CES.
In 2025, more than 141,000 participants from more than 150 countries, regions and territories attended CES. Organizers expect around the same numbers for this year’s show, with more than 3,500 exhibitors across the floor space this week.
The AP spoke with CTA Executive President and CEO Gary Shapiro about what to expect at CES 2026. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
What are the main themes we can expect this week?
Well, we have a lot at this year’s show.
Of course, you use AI in a way that makes sense to people. We are seeing a lot in robotics. More robots and humanoid-looking robots than we’ve ever had before.
We also see longevity in health, there is a lot of focus on that. All sorts of wearable devices for almost any part of the body. Technology is answering healthcare gaps very quickly and that’s great for everyone.
Mobility is big not only with self-driving vehicles but also with boats and drones and all sorts of other ways of getting around. That is very important.
And of course, content creation is always huge.
Is 2026 the year we finally see humanoid robots in people’s homes?
You are watching 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 will see an even greater range of humanoid robots.
Obviously, last year we saw a great interest in them. The number one product of the show was a small robotic dog that seems so alive and fun, and affectionate for people who need that kind of affection.
But of course, humanoid robots are just one aspect of that industry. There is a lot of specialization in robot creation, depending on what you want the robot to do. And robots can do many things that humans cannot.
Will we start to see more innovative use of AI tools in entertainment?
AI is the future of creativity.
Certainly the 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 are working with AI to make variations on a theme or to better monetize what they have for a wider audience.
Any interesting AI-powered devices or services that consumers will want to buy?
We’re seeing all sorts of different devices implementing AI. But we have a special focus in this show, for the first time, on the disability community. Verizon has set this whole stage where we have all different ways to take this technology and have it help the disabled and the elderly.
Are you concerned about a potential AI bubble?
Well, there’s definitely no bubble when it comes to what AI can do. And what AI can do is to perform miracles and solve fundamental human problems in the production of food and clean air and clean water. Obviously in health care, it will be great.
But this was like the internet itself. There was much talk of a bubble, and in fact there was a bubble. The difference is that in the late 1990s there were basically no revenue models. Companies were raising a lot of money without revenue plans.
These AI companies today have significant revenue, and companies are investing in it.
What I’m more concerned about, honestly, is not Wall Street and a bubble. Others may be concerned about this. I’m concerned about getting enough power to process all that AI. And in this show, for the first time, we have a Korean company showing the first ever small-scale nuclear power generation device. We expect more and more of these people to rush to fill this gap because we need energy, we need it clean and we need some kind of solution for all of the above.