The Key Trends of the Tech Fair CES 2026

Las Vegas The Key Trends of the Tech Fair CES 2026

2026-01-13 Source: dpa 3 min Reading Time

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AI controls washing machines, folds laundry, and assists in factories: At CES 2026, companies showcase how artificial intelligence is making its way into more and more everyday devices and industrial applications.

LG Electronics aims to bring robotics into homes with LG Cloid. The machine is designed to handle everyday household tasks, such as cooking or doing laundry.(Image: LG Electronics) — LG Electronics aims to bring robotics into homes with LG Cloid. The machine is designed to handle everyday household tasks, such as cooking or doing laundry.
(Image: LG Electronics)

On the international financial markets, there is currently concern that the hype around artificial intelligence (AI) has created a bubble that could soon burst with a loud bang. However, this fear is hardly noticeable at the CES tech fair in Las Vegas. Hardly any presentation at CES was without the abbreviation "AI" ("Artificial Intelligence"—the English term for artificial intelligence). Jensen Huang, CEO of AI chip specialist Nvidia, was not only the celebrated star of the fair during his own keynote but also a sought-after guest of honor at numerous CES events.

AI Applications At CES 2026

The AI applications at CES 2026 have little to do with the buzz around chatbots like ChatGPT or AI image programs like Nano Banana from Google. Instead, the focus is on AI that acts physically.

Examples at CES are diverse: Samsung presented an AI that automatically detects the type of laundry loaded in washing machines and selects the ideal washing program. LG showcased a humanoid robot that uses AI to neatly fold dried laundry. Bosch demonstrated an AI-powered stovetop that cooks steaks like a master chef.

Gallery

Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens AG, presented the Digital Twin Composer, which will be available on the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace from mid-2026. It combines Siemens' digital twin with simulations based on Nvidia Omniverse libraries and real-time engineering data.(Image: Siemens)

At CES, Schaeffler presented its planetary gear actuator specifically developed for humanoid robots for the first time. The actuator enables easy back-drive ability and high precision.(Image: Schaeffler)

Bosch relies on by-wire systems that replace mechanical connections in brakes and steering with electrical signal lines. This enables completely new possibilities in design, safety, and software control.(Image: Bosch / Jan Potente)

Bluetti introduced the Elite 100 V2, a partially bio-based edition of its Elite 100 portable power station. The housing is made of Bayblend RE polycarbonate from Covestro, which is assigned 25 percent bio-based raw materials through mass balancing. According to calculations, this can reduce the CO2 footprint of the housing by over one fifth compared to the conventional model.(Image: Bluetti)

Gallery with 10 images

Surprise Through Lego Smart Bricks

The biggest surprise success at CES 2026 was achieved by the Danish toy company Lego. In Las Vegas, Lego introduced interactive building blocks. The Smart Brick looks like a conventional Lego brick in the standard 2 × 4 format but is packed with miniature technology—including a battery, sensors for light, acceleration, and sound, a speaker, and a tiny synthesizer. The audience reacted enthusiastically, even though Lego conspicuously avoided the abbreviation AI. Perhaps also because of this AI abstinence.

AI in the Industry

Many AI scenarios at CES were not aimed at private consumers but rather at industry. Siemens CEO Roland Busch opened the fair together with Nvidia CEO Huang with a keynote.

Busch demonstrated a new tool that allows companies to create virtual replicas (digital twins) of their factories and products. Engineers will be able to simulate entire factories in real-time, train robots virtually, and solve problems before the actual factory is built.

Siemens also uses Nvidia's new platform Cosmos for its AI products, which understands physical laws. Cosmos is also used in robotics and autonomous vehicles.

Innovations And Imitations

The trade fair in Las Vegas is not only known for genuine innovations. Many CES exhibitors pick up on successful new developments from the past year and try to turn them into a business. Currently, the smart Ray-Ban glasses from Facebook's Meta have triggered a gold rush. Manufacturers, primarily from China, are pursuing different strategies to achieve sales success with their "Smart Glasses."

Some are copying the Meta concept: glasses with a built-in camera and audio AI but without a display. This includes the Solos Air Go V2, which is not tied to Meta AI Llama. Users can choose in the companion app whether they want to interact with ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude AI.

Other Meta competitors are attempting to surpass the original concept with actual screens and offer AR glasses ("augmented reality"). These glasses overlay digital content such as texts, images, or 3D objects into the field of view, augmenting the real world with virtual information.

This group includes the TCL Ray Neo Air 4 Pro, which looks almost like regular sunglasses but projects a large virtual display in front of the user's eyes.

Metaverse is Out

The metaverse, a hype trend from 2022, hardly plays a role in the current smart glasses models. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg once promoted the metaverse as a digital space with endless possibilities, where people could interact as avatars in a virtual reality. At CES, hardly anyone talks about it anymore.

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