Autonomous driving technology is expected to dominate the CES trade show in Las Vegas this week as investors bet that artificial intelligence will invigorate an industry beset by slow progress, high costs, safety incidents and regulatory scrutiny. Just as carmakers have hit the brakes on electric vehicle (EV) plans and look for their next money maker, a slew of auto suppliers and start-ups are lining up to show off their latest autonomous vehicle hardware and software. Partnerships and deals that promise to take away much of a driver’s responsibilities, or remove the need for a human driver completely, are expected to be announced.
“This year you will see more and more focus on AI and autonomous,” said CJ Finn, US automotive industry leader for PwC, adding that how companies use AI to solve the challenge of rolling out driverless cars safely will be closely watched. “That connectivity on autonomous, I do think, will be front and centre.” AI, though, is expected to be imbued into products well beyond cars — from robots and wearable gadgets to home devices and health technology. Tech heavyweights including AI chip giant Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su are among the key speakers this year.
CES 2026, one of the largest technology exhibits in the US, will run from January 6 to 9 this year. Formerly called the Consumer Electronics Show and known traditionally as the launchpad for the latest in tech such as TVs, laptops and wearables, CES, in recent years, has emerged as a key destination for carmakers debuting their EVs. The upheaval will be evident at CES.
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Most major carmakers have no plans to launch any new EVs this year — a stark difference from the past few years. Commercialising autonomous vehicles has not been easy. High investments, regulatory challenges and investigations after collisions have forced many companies to shut down.
But Tesla’s launch of a small robotaxi service with safety monitors in Austin, Texas, last year and quicker expansion by Alphabet’s Waymo have breathed new life into the industry. Driver-assist systems for personal vehicles have also improved, with some carmakers offering hands-free driving and automatic lane change on highways. Some, such as Rivian, aim to launch “eyes-off” functionality and self-driving on city streets. “That’s starting to align with where people are putting forward their money and how they’re allocating capital,” Finn said.
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