CES 2026 Opens Dedicated AI Space as Show Brings $380 Million to Las Vegas Economy

CES Las Vegas is expanding its commitment to artificial intelligence for the 2026 show, introducing a new dedicated space, the CES Foundry at the Fontainebleau, focused on AI and quantum computing. The event runs Jan. 6–9 and follows a year in which the show attracted more than 140,000 attendees, continuing its role as one of the world's largest technology gatherings.

Organizers are addressing international participation amid global visa delays by updating visa invitation letters, a procedural change designed to ease registration and entry for attendees traveling from outside the United States. AI is dominating industry conversations. As a result, we expect to have significant global attendance at the show.

Investment from private investors in AI continues to increase dramatically, with the largest technology companies investing over $100 trillion so far, driven by generative AI and Large Language Models. This tremendous growth in investment demonstrates the vast applications of AI across mobility, healthcare, enterprise operations, and core business functions of organisations.

Caterpillar will keynote, focusing on AI advances and autonomous capabilities, and illustrating how industrial sectors are adopting enterprise-scale AI. “We are building on our strong legacy of innovation, rapidly expanding our tech capabilities in new ways that help solve our customers' toughest challenges,” Caterpillar CEO Joe Creed said in the release.

AMD CEO Lisa Su will also take the stage to emphasize the computing power required to support AI growth. “At AMD, our mission is clear: deliver the computing power and AI innovation the world needs to tackle its most complex problems,” Su said in a news release announcing the talk.

CES leadership continues to dismiss concerns that AI is in a speculative bubble. “We're expecting AI to be prevalent throughout the show,” Kelley said. “There's so much opportunity, and we're just starting to scratch the surface,” he added. “We're really in its infancy stage right now. It's really hard to predict what the future will look like exactly, but we're definitely not in a bubble.”

The event is expected to maintain strong attendance and economic impact, consistent with its prior footprint of over 140,000 attendees, roughly 1,600 local jobs supported, and about $380 million in annual financial contributions. New AI-focused trainings will debut this year to help executives understand and implement AI, reinforcing AI as the leading theme of the 2026 show.