AI takes center stage at CES

CES opened with artificial intelligence squarely dominating the show floor as exhibitors and attendees converged on demonstrations that place AI at the center of consumer and industrial tech. Generative models, on-device machine learning and automation featured across a wide range of categories: smarter laptops and phones, health and wellness devices offering real‑time analysis, household appliances that learn user habits, autonomous driving systems, and advanced television displays that continue to get thinner and brighter.

Crowds formed around live AI demos—assistants, real‑time translation, image and video generation—many pitched to run locally rather than rely solely on cloud processing. Vendors emphasized new energy‑efficient chips and tighter hardware‑software partnerships designed to boost performance and democratize AI features across products. Automakers used the event as a major platform for EV and autonomy showcases, reinforcing CES’s evolving role beyond consumer electronics into mobility.

Attendees expressed strong interest in practical AI use cases. Visitors cited robotics and autonomous driving as draws, but said AI integration was the primary attraction across the thousands of exhibitors spread over 2.6 million square feet. TV upgrades remained a perennial highlight for consumers, even as AI framed the year’s standout innovations.

Panel sessions and vendor pitches repeatedly returned to concerns about privacy, security and regulation. Exhibitors sought to reassure buyers by stressing on‑device processing, transparency around data use and tools to detect or mitigate AI misuse. Analysts noted that AI has shifted from a novelty to a foundational layer tying together smart homes, connected devices and industrial applications, intensifying competition as firms jockey to be seen as leaders.

Industry leaders and startups signaled that the near term will focus on improving speed, accuracy and energy efficiency, while policymakers and technologists pressed for clearer safeguards. For many at the show, the opening made clear that artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic promise but the defining element of the next generation of consumer and enterprise technology.