What CES Taught Us About Tech for 2026

CES 2026 reaffirmed its position as the global launchpad for the next wave of tech. From AI integration across devices to lifestyle innovations that touch how we live, work and play, this year’s show signaled where brands should invest attention and storytelling in 2026 and beyond.

First, AI is everywhere. While we all likely knew this going into to CES, AI is the new baseline of innovation. From next-gen PCs and chips to lifestyle tech, such as wrist-worn assistants, AI was the connective tissue across innovations.

One element that caught our eye in particular is agentic AI. Could this be the year that this technology has its moment, and we truly understand the power of its product and platform integration? From Microsoft’s announcement with Bosch introducing in-vehicle cockpit innovation to advancements in agentic media buying, we expect agentic AI to have truly real-world benefits to consumer and businesses.

How to tell your AI story:

• Show how your product or service leverages AI for real user benefit and real-world applications.
• Demonstrate unique use cases for how AI is integrated in your product or service.
• Tap into a relevant industry newshook that demonstrates the real-world application need for your product or service.

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Next is lifestyle tech that enhances real life. Whether it’s the 130-inch AI-powered Samsung TV or practical smart home innovations like AI-optimized lighting and pool robots, lifestyle tech advancements are about meaningful enhancements to daily living.

What stood out at CES 2026 is that lifestyle technology is becoming more personal, proactive, and seamlessly integrated. Devices are designed to adapt to individual routines, anticipate needs, and remove friction from everyday moments. The result is tech that fades into the background while improving how people live, entertain, and take care of their homes.

This shift opens the door to broader storytelling opportunities for brands. Lifestyle tech is no longer just a gadget story, it’s a human story.

How to tell your brand’s lifestyle tech story:

• Show how your technology improves everyday moments.
• Highlight real-world scenarios that journalists can visualize.
• Frame innovation around wellbeing, convenience, and quality of life.
• Bring human use cases to life through demos, visuals, or consumer anecdotes.

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Finally, robotics are all the rave. If CES is a mirror held up to the future, robotics, especially humanoid ones, are having their moment. What stood out this year wasn’t just how advanced these computers have become, but how normal and mainstream they’re starting to feel.

From a business perspective, humanoid robots such as Hexagon’s AEON are powered by cutting-edge AI and positioned as practical responses to real-world challenges: labor shortages, aging workforces, and physically demanding or unsafe jobs. These robots are no longer framed as experimental — they’re scalable solutions.

At the same time, CES showcased a softer, more consumer-friendly side of robotics. Pitched as more “friend-first”, social robots that talk, listen, and respond to touch are being designed for companionship, education, and even emotional support. Powered by advances in AI, these machines are becoming more intuitive, less “programmed” and more conversational.

The takeaway? Robotics narratives are shifting from fear and fantasy to function and familiarity.

How to tell your robotics story:

• Focus on the problem your robot solves, the human outcomes.
• Emphasize safety, collaboration, and human support.
• Use real environments (homes, workplaces, public spaces) as proof points.
• Position robots as helpers, partners, and even entertainers.

As CES 2026 made clear, innovation alone isn’t what breaks through to media, it’s the storytelling that does. Technology is being integrated in everyday life and business, and for brands to stand out, PR agencies play a critical role in translating complex innovation into narratives that resonate with both B2B decision-makers and lifestyle audiences.

From shaping AI thought leadership and reframing robotics around real human outcomes, to elevating lifestyle tech through relatable, consumer-centric stories, the ability to turn emerging tech into earned attention has never been more important.

For any tech questions, please reach out to Krista Crouch (kcrouch@mww.com) and Conrad Arnavutian (carnavutian@mww.com)