Blockchain Barely Gets a Mention as AI Dominates CES 2026 Trend Predictions
AI-driven personalization and new monetization models took centre stage, while blockchain was largely sidelined.
In brief
- AI dominated CES trend predictions, with widespread adoption reported across workplaces, homes, vehicles and healthcare.
- Futurist Brian Comiskey outlined a future built on continuous monitoring, personalised systems and software-defined products.
- Yet questions remain over acceptance of AI in the workplace and return on investment, despite heavy enterprise spending on generative AI.
Blockchain received only a brief mention at a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) talk focused on technology trend predictions, as artificial intelligence dominated discussion about the future of consumer and enterprise technology.
The CES 2026 Trends to Watch talk, held Monday, featured Brian Comiskey, senior director of innovation and trends at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Comiskey described the 2020s as a decade of “intelligent transformation,” driven primarily by advances in AI.
“This is a wave of innovation brought about by the rise of artificial intelligence and its increasing capabilities, which is changing the operations of enterprises, the functions of workers and the lives of consumers,” Comiskey said.
Blockchain was referenced only in passing near the end of the discussion, described as offering “unhackable layers of security,” without further explanation or elaboration.
"Intelligent platforms"
Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, including inflationary pressures and tariffs, the CTA projects U.S. consumer technology industry revenue will reach $565 billion dollars in 2026, indicating continued consumer demand for new technologies.
He outlined a future in which hardware devices increasingly function as adaptive, data-driven platforms. Comiskey said smart glasses and extended reality headsets are being deployed in industrial settings, including warehouse optimization, remote surgical assistance, and medical applications.
“We’re going to see intelligent transformation driving a fundamental shift,” he said. “The devices and hardware we know and love are becoming intelligent platforms designed to deliver deeply personalized, adaptive experiences.”
Cars are undergoing a similar transformation, Comiskey said, arguing that they're evolving into “software-defined ecosystems,” featuring over-the-air updates, modular hardware and open operating systems.
“Cars are no longer just machines,” he said. “Consumers now expect their cars to adapt to them, not the other way around.”
He highlighted AI-powered driver profiles, predictive maintenance and partnerships between automakers, technology companies and content platforms as central to this shift. Just this week, Nvidia announced a suite of open AI models designed for self-driving cars.