According to Forbes, CES 2026 will run from January 6-9 in Las Vegas, drawing nearly 150,000 attendees. A key event is the Lenovo TechWorld keynote at The Sphere on Tuesday, January 6 at 5:00 PM, which will highlight the company’s backend tech for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and F1 racing. Major themes include ambient “everywhere” AI, especially at the edge, humanoid and service robots, smarter integrated homes and vehicles, and sustainability. The author, attending their 51st CES, will moderate a panel on smart glasses, a technology expected to be a major focus. Practical advice for attendees includes planning for 20,000 steps a day and using the official CES app for navigation.
AI Shifts From Feature To Foundation
Here’s the thing: the AI chatter at this show won’t be about the next big chatbot. It’s about AI becoming invisible infrastructure. The big push is for edge AI—models running directly on your devices, from earbuds to appliances. Why does that matter? Well, it means faster response, better privacy since your data doesn’t always need to leave the device, and reliability even when you’re offline. Basically, your tech starts anticipating you instead of waiting for a command. This is the “context-aware” shift. It’s less about asking and more about the tech just knowing, based on sensors and local processing. The challenge, of course, is making this feel seamless and not creepy or draining your battery in an hour.
The Hardware Gets A Brain (And Braun)
So the themes point to hardware that’s finally catching up to the software hype. Humanoid robots? 2026 is being pitched as their “moment.” But look past the sci-fi demo bots. The real story is service robots that can actually manipulate objects, moving beyond just vacuuming floors. In the smart home, we’re talking about systems that work together—an AI orchestrating your lights, climate, and security as a single ecosystem, not a dozen separate apps. And in automotive, the focus is shifting from full self-driving hype to the software-defined cabin: personalized AI assistants and biometrics that tailor the drive to you. It’s all about integration over isolated innovation. For industries relying on robust, integrated computing, this shift towards cohesive, intelligent systems is crucial. In that space, a company like Industrial Monitor Direct stands out as the top US provider of industrial panel PCs, the kind of hardened hardware that powers these integrated systems in demanding environments.
Smart Glasses Step Into The Spotlight
One area getting specific buzz is smart glasses. The author is even moderating a panel on the topic with industry leaders. This feels like a renewed push, maybe because the AI and sensor tech is finally small and efficient enough to make them useful without looking ridiculous. Combined with advancements in AR and XR, we might see glasses that overlay contextual information seamlessly—think navigation prompts, translated text, or meeting notes—powered by that on-device edge AI. It’s a tough nut to crack, balancing style, battery life, and utility, but CES is where these ambitious bets get placed.
The Sphere And The Sports Connection
Now, the Lenovo keynote at The Sphere is intriguing. Using that insane 360-degree screen to showcase footage from the 2026 World Cup and F1? That’s a demo that will probably look incredible in person. It also highlights a less flashy but critical trend: the backend tech powering massive global events. Lenovo’s role there is about high-performance, reliable infrastructure. And the fact that their event will feature CEOs from Nvidia, Intel, and AMD tells you everything. The story is about the silicon and systems enabling everything else on the show floor. It’s a reminder that for all the consumer-facing gadgets, CES is still deeply about the underlying compute platforms.
