CES 2026 Spotlights Physical AI: Humanoid Robots Debut as AI Appliances and Edge AI Chips Take Center Stage

CES 2026 opened in Las Vegas on January 9, with AI technology taking center stage. Humanoid robots, autonomous driving solutions, and a wide array of AI-powered home appliances were prominently featured, highlighting the emerging trend of "physical AI." Major companies showcased significant advancements: Lenovo unveiled Qira, a cross-device AI voice assistant; Meta enhanced the capabilities of its Ray-Ban smart glasses; and Google expanded its Gemini AI model to TVs and smart home devices. Meanwhile, startups aggressively promoted compact AI gadgets, though some products were criticized as being more marketing hype than substance. Experts noted that while humanoid robots are seen as a future direction, achieving cost-effectiveness and practical usability in the near term remains challenging. Driven by rising costs of cloud-based AI, the industry is accelerating its shift toward on-device AI deployment—Intel introduced its Panther Lake AI chip built on the 18A process node, and AMD also updated its AIPC processors. However, whether AI can truly spark a consumer device upgrade cycle remains to be seen.