The ‘world’s largest tech fair’, as CES is popularly called, delivered a dose of wonder and whimsy, along with futuristic technology, and much AI-powered consumer gear.
While technology managed to bring the world together at Las Vegas in the first working week of 2026, geopolitics in this changing global order cast its shadow as well.
Indian founders fretted over tariffs and their effect on pricing. Chinese startups waited to launch their products in the US. Others weighed the cost of setting up manufacturing or assembly lines in the country, and virtually everybody discussed the challenges of doing business in the current turbulent environment.
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“As of now we are absorbing the tariff costs and have not passed it on to consumers, but if it goes up even more, we have to re-imagine our manufacturing and supply chain,” said the product head of an audio company at the trade fair.
The founder of an Indian startup looking to sell his products in the US said his plans of setting up distribution in this country depended on the tariff regime.
“If it becomes prohibitively expensive, we will have to consider manufacturing in a third country, or maybe assemble the units in the US. I have already created an American entity for the same,” he added.
Innovation takes centre stage
In terms of sheer innovation, smart-mobility, healthtech, agetech, and robotics stole the show at the event.
There was a lot of focus on driverless mobility and several large companies wanted to talk about their efforts in that direction. Bosch spoke about its personalised cockpits for travellers in driverless cars.
“After automated driving, what you want (next is) a personalised car, you want to maybe work on the go, and then you need the integration of Microsoft Office, something we have already done,” said Tanja Rueckert, global chief digital officer, Bosch.
Talking about taking AI from the digital to the physical world, Nvidia said it is working with Mercedes Benz to make advanced AI-powered vehicles.
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“As the automotive industry embraces physical AI, Nvidia will be the intelligence backbone that makes every vehicle programmable, updatable, and perpetually improving through data and software,” said Ali Kani, vice president, automotive, at NVIDIA.
Robotics was another segment which saw a lot of innovative work being exhibited at CES. South Korean technology giant LG showcased zero-labour homes through its Cloid robot . A humanoid which can manage daily chores, LG’s bet on physical AI centred on making the entire home smart with its AI-powered gadgets.
“As a global leader in home appliances, our deep understanding of customer lifestyles is a powerful advantage, which will help set a new standard for future homes through a variety of solutions, including robots,” said LG CEO Lyu Jae-Cheol during a press briefing.
Chinese startup Ollobot showcased a robo-pet, with personalised design and the ability to read gestures and body language, which they claimed would help bring families closer.
Japanese startup LudensAI showcased Cocomo, a AI-powered companion robot, which has memory and can play and bond with humans.
Hyper-personalisation
What majorly drove curiosity at CES was how much AI could help personalise products.
For instance, massage chairs are nothing new, but with AI, they can change their massage patterns as per the time of the day or the stress level of the consumer.
Hyderabad-based Cama is building sleep solutions. While this may be old hat, with many companies like The Sleep Company and Wakefit reimagining mattresses in India, Cama has gone a step further and built a bed which can change shape according to the individual and her / his sleeping pattern.
“If there is a pregnant lady on the bed, it will automatically push her into the side-sleeping posture and not let her sleep straight,” said Teja Vinukollu, founder, Cama.
Another example of hyper-personalisation was around AI in mobility, where LG spoke about having smart glasses in cars which can even scan billboards and enable a retail purchase on the go through a smart vehicle.
AI and its larger impact
The general takeaway from the entire event was how AI was changing the world for human beings and trying to make their lives simpler. However, the challenges around job creation and the relevance of tech personnel in the revised scheme of things crept into almost every discussion.
Speaking about the impact of AI, one of the tech heads at a multinational firm said that in his three decades in the industry, he had never seen something so disruptive and so big.
Hemant Taneja, chief executive officer, General Catalyst, one of the largest early-stage venture firms in Silicon Valley, said job creation will no longer be related to the college or the degree of the student. “It’s about learning to ask the right questions rather than solving entire worlds of hard problems. That requires a very different mindset, rooted in curiosity.”
(The reporter is attending CES 2026 in Las Vegas at the invitation of the Consumer Technology Association, US)