CES 2026: Connected vehicles accelerate the pace of AI | Computer Weekly

"Visitors would also have been very aware of a couple of key themes: one being the continued importance of connected and software-defined vehicles (SDVs); the other being the march - in some cases quite literally - of robotics in industrial and lifestyle settings, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in these use cases, an application set known as physical AI."

"Moreover, the show demonstrated the clear synergies between robotics and automotive use cases. Indeed, one learned observer went so far as to describe a connected vehicle as a "special kind of robot" in a world where screens are the new horsepower."

"Liz Claman of the Fox Business Network, who noted - almost a decade after former Ford CEO Alan Mulally became the first auto executive of his status to be invited to speak at the show - that CES is now effectively a tech version "on steroids" of the Detroit Auto Show - the flagship event for the automotive industry as a whole."

CES 2026 in Las Vegas demonstrated overwhelming technological diversity from major audiovisual and consumer electronics manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, TCL, and Hisense. Two primary themes dominated the event: software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and robotics integrated with artificial intelligence in industrial and lifestyle applications, termed physical AI. The show revealed significant synergies between robotics and automotive technologies, with connected vehicles conceptualized as specialized robots in an era where digital screens represent primary technological advancement. This evolution reflects a broader transformation of CES from a general consumer electronics event into a technology-focused automotive showcase, a shift that began gaining momentum at CES 2024 and represents a continuation of trends established nearly a decade earlier.

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