The first day of the massive CES 2026 tech expo in Las Vegas was dominated by major announcements from semiconductor giants Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, all vying for leadership in the booming artificial intelligence sector. However, the audience's heart was ultimately captured by adorable robots and a galaxy far, far away.
The AI Chip Wars Intensify
As predicted, artificial intelligence was the central theme, woven into nearly every product showcase. The biggest buzzword echoing through the halls was "Physical AI," a term coined by Nvidia. This refers to AI models trained extensively in virtual environments using synthetic data before being deployed into real-world machines.
Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, took the stage to unveil several key innovations. He showcased Cosmos, a powerful AI foundation model trained on massive datasets that can simulate environments governed by real-world physics. For the automotive future, he announced Alpamayo, an AI model built specifically for autonomous driving systems. Huang also confirmed that Nvidia's next-generation AI superchip platform, Vera Rubin, is now in full production and revealed a new strategic partnership with industrial giant Siemens. These moves signal Nvidia's aggressive strategy to defend its position as the backbone of the AI industry against rising competition.
Not to be outdone, AMD CEO Lisa Su announced a fresh line of its Ryzen AI processors, strengthening the company's push into AI-powered personal computers. For the gaming community, AMD also revealed the latest iteration of its gaming-focused chip, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D.
Intel, aiming to reclaim its lost ground in the mobile and AI eras, introduced its new AI chip for laptops, codenamed Panther Lake (also known as the Intel Core Ultra Series 3). The company also shared plans to launch a platform targeting the fast-growing market for handheld gaming devices. In a significant recent development, the U.S. government, under President Donald Trump's administration, acquired a 10% stake in Intel to bolster American technology and domestic manufacturing, making it one of the chipmaker's largest shareholders.
Robots, Robotaxis, and Musical Candy
Beyond chips, the future of transportation and robotics took center stage. Uber, in collaboration with Lucid Motors and Nuro, gave the world its first look at a luxurious robotaxi. The autonomous vehicle features a 360-degree perception system and a low-profile roof "halo" with LEDs that display the rider's initials. Inside, passengers can personalize climate, music, and see real-time visuals of the car's path. On-road testing began in San Francisco last month, with a commercial launch targeted before year-end.
In the humanoid robot arena, Boston Dynamics (owned by Hyundai) publicly demonstrated its Atlas robot at CES for the first time, heating up its rivalry with Tesla. The company stated that a version of Atlas designed to assemble cars is already in production and will be deployed at a Hyundai EV plant in Georgia by 2028. Meanwhile, LG previewed a household robot capable of chores like folding laundry, promising to bring service robots into homes.
The entertainment segment saw fascinating crossovers. Lego launched its Lego Smart Play platform with sensor-equipped "smart bricks" and, in a crowd-pleasing move, announced a partnership with Star Wars. This allows fans to build interactive space battles and lightsaber duels. Lucasfilm's David Filoni brought Star Wars characters on stage, winning massive fan applause.
In a lighter note, Lollipop Star unveiled a candy that plays music using "bone induction technology" as you lick it, featuring tracks from artists like Akon and Ice Spice. These musical lollipops will sell for $8.99 each post-CES.
Looking Ahead at CES 2026
The opening day of CES 2026 set a clear tone: the integration of AI into physical devices and everyday life is accelerating rapidly. While the technical underpinnings from chipmakers form the crucial foundation, it's the tangible, often whimsical applications—like helpful robots, interactive toys, and even musical sweets—that capture the public's imagination and define the path to adoption. The expo continues to be a critical barometer for the tech trends that will shape the coming year and beyond.
