CES 2026: which technologies will truly create value for businesses?
CES 2026, one of the world’s largest technology trade shows, once again showcased major innovations and structural trends shaping our digital future. A key event on the global calendar, it brings together every year in Las Vegas the leading players of the tech industry.
With 2.6 million square metres of exhibition space, 4,100 exhibitors — including nearly 1,200 start-ups — and 148,000 attendees, CES is far more than a trade show; it is a global technology barometer.
It offers a concrete preview of the developments that will redefine our uses, business models and ways of living in the years to come. This 59th edition was no exception, confirming its role as a strategic platform for understanding the major transformations reshaping the global technology ecosystem — a unique observation ground for deciphering long-term trends.
Physical AI ushers in the next industrial revolution
CES 2026 marks a genuine turning point. More than a transitional edition, it stands out as a strategic shift: after years of demonstrations and promises, artificial intelligence is finally leaving data centres to enter the physical world.
This year, we are witnessing the decisive move from AI discourse to execution. What CES had been announcing for several editions is now becoming tangible: truly intelligent, interconnected objects capable of acting, anticipating and genuinely simplifying everyday life.
From software AI to AI that runs our lives
One of the strongest signals at CES 2026 is that all major manufacturers now offer a unified AI assistant. Powered by data from all connected objects — from refrigerators to coffee machines, washing machines to energy systems — this assistant becomes the central layer for managing the home and, more broadly, daily life.
AI no longer merely responds to requests. It orchestrates, optimises and anticipates. It promises to simplify usage, detect failures before they occur, and even identify weak signals related to health or wellbeing.
At Samsung, LG and Lenovo, the promise of real cohesion between IoT and connected devices now appears credible. AI becomes the long-awaited orchestration layer, capable of enabling all equipment to communicate and delivering a truly seamless and intuitive experience.
More mature AI assistants: true life companions
AI assistants are also reaching a new level of maturity. They now position themselves as genuine life companions: managing family organisation, anticipating equipment failures, and supporting wellbeing and mental health through “Intelligence Care” approaches.
A strategic polarisation among manufacturers is also emerging: ecosystems are being built around major partnerships, mainly with OpenAI (ChatGPT) or Google (Gemini). A structuring choice that will shape user experiences, use cases and technological dependencies for years to come.
Ever more sensors to feed AI
Another major trend is the proliferation of sensors. To make AI truly useful, data is required — a lot of data. CES 2026 is therefore full of new objects designed primarily as intelligent data collection points: dozens of Plaud-style devices (such as Glory Note), miniaturised jewellery (Hera, Nuna Nirva, Omi), smart glasses and invisible wearables.
AI becomes omnipresent because it is now embodied — embedded in everyday objects capable of observing, analysing and acting continuously. This embedded AI opens the door to high-value services: improved wellbeing, personalised support, health prevention, optimisation of comfort and usage, and even mental health assistance.
Wellbeing vs privacy: the data governance challenge
However, this evolution also has a far more sensitive side. As AI spreads into increasingly intimate objects, it continuously captures personal, behavioural and sometimes biological data. The risk is real of creating a world in which users no longer control the collection, use or circulation of their private data, to the benefit of closed ecosystems and opaque business models.
CES 2026 perfectly illustrates this tension: between the promise of enhanced wellbeing and the growing threat to privacy, the issue of data governance, consent and digital sovereignty becomes a central challenge for the years ahead.
Asia in force, South Korea leading the way
Even more than last year, Asia is omnipresent at CES. South Korea confirms its leadership, with impressive stands and, above all, innovations already at an industrial stage. The show reveals many brands still relatively unknown to the European public, yet already firmly established in their sectors, particularly in automotive and robotics.
CES 2026 is not only about AI. It is clearly the year of robots.
Robotics enters a phase of strategic maturity
A new robotic era: from promises to execution
“The ChatGPT moment for robotics has arrived.”
This statement by Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, perfectly captures the atmosphere of the show.
The omnipresence of robots is no passing trend. Humanoids, service robots and autonomous industrial platforms all embody the same momentum: deep AI integration, clearly identified use cases and a clear drive towards industrialisation.
The future of work, the home and services is now being written with machines capable of moving, manipulating and collaborating alongside humans. Robots are entering every environment — industrial and domestic alike — in all forms: bipeds, quadrupeds, wheeled platforms, humanoid heads or simple screens. They are everywhere, and most importantly, they can already do a great deal.
Atlas: a Symbol of human–machine collaboration
Among the most striking demonstrations, Hyundai and Boston Dynamics made a strong impression with the exclusive presentation of the final version of the Atlas robot. The ambition is clear: operational deployment across all Hyundai factories from 2030 onwards.
More than a technological feat, Atlas embodies a vision — that of human–machine collaboration designed as a genuine lever for industrial progress, performance and safety.
Conclusion
CES 2026 marks the entry into the era of physical AI — an AI that acts, moves, orchestrates and profoundly transforms our relationship with objects, work and services. This is no longer a futuristic projection; it is now an industrial reality.
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