Gary Shapiro, Executive Chairman and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organizer of CES 2026, stated that the core theme of this year's show is the practical application of "human-centric" AI, aiming to truly integrate artificial intelligence technology into consumers' daily lives. Notably different from previous years, this year's exhibition will feature more robotic products than ever before, particularly humanoid robots. CES 2026 has attracted over 4,500 exhibitors, including approximately 1,400 startups, with an exhibition area reaching 2.6 million square feet spread across 13 venues in Las Vegas. A record-breaking total of over 3,600 products were submitted for innovation award applications at this year's show. Shapiro emphasized that CES 2026 will showcase innovations spanning multiple fields including AI, robotics, digital health, mobility, enterprise technology, energy, immersive entertainment, and accessibility technology, featuring over 400 conference sessions with more than 1,300 speakers. Beyond humanoid robots, the event will also display various service robots, robotic arms, AI-powered drones, and cutting-edge technologies like autonomous vehicles. The scale of robotics demonstrations in 2026 is unprecedented, especially in the realm of embodied intelligence (Humanoid & Wearable Robotics). Shapiro believes the robotics field is experiencing its own "ChatGPT moment," evolving from mere mechanical repetition to understanding complex instructions and operating autonomously in real-world environments. He specifically highlighted the surge in the number of humanoid robots at this year's show and predicted that within the next few years, these robots will genuinely begin entering households, moving beyond their current confinement to factory settings. He stressed that at this year's exhibition, AI is no longer viewed as a standalone product category or a flashy "add-on," but has become the underlying operating system driving almost all showcased devices. Shapiro contends that AI is shifting from "generating content" towards "solving practical labor shortage problems," with deep applications in sectors like healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing, where it is addressing structural gaps in the global labor market. Shapiro pointed out that a clear trend emerging from this year's CES is the shift in AI's focus from consumer-grade novelties to enterprise-level productivity tools. He mentioned the newly established CES Foundry exhibition area, dedicated to showcasing the convergence of AI and quantum computing. He believes AI is rescuing the global economy by automating processes and enabling intelligent predictions, injecting new growth momentum into traditional industries such as manufacturing and elderly healthcare, which he identifies as the most significant legacy this edition of the show will leave for history.