CES 2026 CES 2026 to showcase real-world AI applications

Kinsey Fabrizio, center, president at the Consumer Technology Association, poses during a media briefing at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Sunday (local time). From left are John Kelley, vice president of the CES organizer, Fabrizio and Gary Shapiro, vice chair and CEO of the CTA. Korea Times photo by Lee Min-hyung

LAS VEGAS — This year’s CES tech fair will focus on the shift of artificial intelligence (AI) from mainly digital uses to real-world applications, especially in robotics, by turning conceptual ideas into tangible physical products, an organizer of the world’s largest IT exhibition said Sunday (local time).

CES 2026 will run for four days starting Tuesday, and one of the event’s most striking features will be the real-world application of artificial intelligence and its growing integration into robotics, according to Kinsey Fabrizio, president of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the show’s organizer.

“At CES 2026, visitors are going to see a lot of AI concepts go from concept to actual implementation on products and their development,” she told reporters during a media briefing.

The remark reflects the rapidly evolving landscape of AI. In recent years, generative AI has dominated the global tech industry in the wake of ChatGPT.

The logo of the CES tech exhibition is displayed inside Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Sunday (local time). Yonhap

So far, generative AI has enabled individuals and companies to create text and image content using massive datasets.

However, the paradigm is now shifting toward physical AI, which refers to the integration of artificial intelligence with physical systems such as robots.

The CTA executive also emphasized that visitors to CES 2026 will see more advanced forms of robotics aligned with the latest AI technologies.

“The biggest difference for CES 2026 from the previous event is more robotics,” she said. “Visitors will be able to see a lot of robotics used for smart homes and humanoid robots during CES 2026.”

Just as mobility has experienced rapid growth in the global tech sector over the past few years, the CTA president expects robotics to see a similar surge at CES.

“There are patching robots, robotic dispensaries, smart home robotics that are not just smart now, but intelligent, and they are able to do many different types of tasks thanks to AI. There are also companion robots and emotional support robots. AI and robotics have evolved tremendously and this will be very clear at CES 2026.”

For the first time, the CTA is introducing an AI-dedicated venue, the CES Foundry, at CES 2026. The space is designed for AI industry players to exchange ideas and seek potential business opportunities.