CES always brings spectacle. Flashy demos. Big promises. Bold claims about “the future.” But every year, only a handful of trends actually make it out of the convention center and into real businesses, real homes, and real workflows.

This year, three themes stood out—not because they were loud, but because they were practical.

The first is AI moving from novelty to infrastructure. At CES, the most compelling AI wasn’t about chatbots or flashy assistants. It was embedded. AI baked into devices, workflows, and systems that quietly remove friction. Think laptops that optimize performance based on how you work, not how they’re marketed. Think enterprise tools that automate reporting, forecasting, and decision support without requiring a data science team.

The companies winning aren’t asking, “How do we add AI?” They’re asking, “Where does intelligence remove wasted effort?”

The second trend is ambient computing becoming real. Smart homes, wearables, and connected devices are finally starting to feel… helpful. Not intrusive. Not gimmicky. Devices that anticipate needs instead of demanding attention. Health sensors that monitor trends instead of pinging alerts. Workspaces that adapt lighting, sound, and ergonomics automatically.

This matters because attention is the new scarce resource. Technology that respects it will win.

The third trend is energy efficiency and sustainability moving from virtue signaling to cost savings. From smarter power management to localized energy storage, CES showed that sustainability is no longer about optics—it’s about resilience and economics. Businesses adopting these technologies aren’t doing it for press releases. They’re doing it to reduce volatility and operating costs.

What this means for professionals and leaders: Stop chasing tools. Start identifying friction. The most impactful technologies this year will be the ones that quietly make work easier, faster, and more reliable.

Call to action: Audit one workflow this quarter. Ask where time, energy, or attention is being wasted—and explore technology that removes that friction instead of adding complexity.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tech-trends-ces-2026-technologies-actually-matter-david-6juic