CES 2026 is now officially open. While events and showcases have been happening since Sunday, the main exhibition at the Las Vegas Convention Center began today. The TechCrunch team is on the ground covering keynotes, interviewing executives, and exploring the latest technology.
A major theme from the pre-show events was the critical importance of compute power for AI. During her keynote, AMD Chair and CEO Lisa Su stated that AI is the most important technology of the last 50 years and is projected to grow to over 5 billion active users. She emphasized that AI is for everyone and unveiled new products, including the AMD Ryzen AI 400 Series processor for AI-powered personal computers.
OpenAI president and co-founder Greg Brockman joined Su on stage, highlighting that compute is a key bottleneck for AI advancement. He predicted that GDP growth may soon be tied to the amount of compute available in a country or region. AMD also showcased its massive Helios computing rack, which weighs nearly 7,000 pounds.
Another keynote came from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who announced the new Rubin chip architecture and Alphamayo AI models for autonomous vehicles.
In other news, a strategic partnership between Google DeepMind and Boston Dynamics was announced, focusing on next-generation humanoid robots. Additionally, the Uber, Lucid, and Nuro collaboration revealed its production-intent robotaxi, built on the spacious Lucid Gravity platform, with plans to launch rides later this year.
Among the new products on the show floor, Birdfy introduced the Birdfy Hum Bloom, a smart hummingbird feeder with a 4K camera capable of slow-motion video. It uses AI software to identify over 150 bird species and includes nectar level monitoring.
The startup Vibe launched a physical meeting assistant bot. Priced at $1,799, the bot features a 4K camera to track attendees, beamforming microphones for note-taking, a voice assistant, and a touchscreen. It integrates with calendars and project management tools.
Eufy, a brand from Anker, presented the Clean Robot Vacuum Omni S2. This $1,600 device vacuums and mops, using electrolyzed water to sanitize the mop head. Uniquely, it also functions as a home fragrance machine, dispensing scent from solid gel pods as it cleans.
Dr. Fei-Fei Li, co-founder of World Labs, demonstrated her company’s product, Marble. This platform uses generative 3D world models to create digital environments that obey the laws of physics, highlighting the immense compute power required for such tasks.
The AMD keynote also featured appearances from Absci CEO Sean McClain, Generative Bionics CEO Daniele Pucci, Blue Origin’s John Couluris, and former White House advisor Michael Kratsios. Su concluded the event by awarding $20,000 education grants to students from an AMD-sponsored hackathon.