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With the start of the New Year squarely behind us, it’s once again time for the annual CES trade show to shine a spotlight on the latest tech that companies plan to offer in 2026.The multiday event, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, kicks off this week in Las Vegas, where advances across industries like robotics, healthcare, vehicles, wearables, gaming and more are set to be on display.Artificial intelligence will be anchored in nearly everything, again, as the tech industry explores offerings consumers will want to buy. AI industry heavyweight Jensen Huang will be taking the stage to showcase Nvidia’s latest productivity solutions, and AMD CEO Lisa Su will keynote to “share her vision for delivering future AI solutions.” Expect AI to come up in other keynotes, like from Lenovo’s CEO, Yuanqing Yang.The AI industry is tackling issues in healthcare, with a particular emphasis on changing individual health habits to treat conditions such as Beyond Medicine’s prescription app focused on a particular jaw disorder or addressing data shortages in subjects such as breast milk production.Expect more unveils around domestic robots too. Korean tech giant LG already has announced it will show off a helper bot named “CLOiD,” to handle a range of household tasks. Hyundai also is announcing a major push on robotics and manufacturing advancements. Extended reality, basically a virtual training ground for robots and other physical AI, is also in the buzz around CES.In 2025, more than 141,000 attendees from over 150 countries, regions, and territories attended CES. Organizers expect around the same numbers for this year’s show, with more than 3,500 exhibitors across the floor space this week.The AP spoke with CTA Executive Chair and CEO Gary Shapiro about what to expect for CES 2026. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length. What are the main themes we can expect this week? Well, we have a lot at this year’s show.Obviously, using AI in a way that makes sense for people. We’re seeing a lot in robotics. More robots and humanoid-looking robots than we’ve ever had before.We also see longevity in health, there’s a lot of focus on that. All sorts of wearable devices for almost every part of the body. Technology is answering healthcare’s gaps very quickly and that’s great for everyone.Mobility is big with not only self-driving vehicles but also with boats and drones and all sorts of other ways of getting around. That’s very important.And of course, content creation is always very big.Is 2026 the year we finally see humanoid robots in people’s homes?You are seeing humanoid robots right now. It sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t.But yes, there are more and more humanoid robots. And when we talk about CES five, 10, 15, 20 years now, we’re going to see an even larger range of humanoid robots.Obviously, last year we saw a great interest in them. The number one product of the show was a little robotic dog that seems so life-like and fun, and affectionate for people that need that type of affection.But of course, the humanoid robots are just one aspect of that industry. There’s a lot of specialization in robot creation, depending on what you want the robot to do. And robots can do many things that humans can’t. Will we start seeing more innovative use of AI tools in entertainment? AI is the future of creativity.Certainly AI itself may be arguably creative, but the human mind is so unique that you definitely get new ideas that way. So I think the future is more of a hybrid approach, where content creators are working with AI to craft variations on a theme or to better monetize what they have to a broader audience. Any interesting AI-powered devices or services that consumers will want to buy? We’re seeing all sorts of different devices that are implementing AI. But we have a special focus at this show, for the first time, on the disability community. Verizon set this whole stage up where we have all different ways of taking this technology and having it help people with disabilities and older people. Are you concerned about a potential AI bubble? Well, there’s definitely no bubble when it comes to what AI can do. And what AI can do is perform miracles and solve fundamental human problems in food production and clean air and clean water. Obviously in healthcare, it’s gonna be overwhelming.But this was like the internet itself. There was a lot of talk about a bubble, and there actually was a bubble. The difference is that in late 1990s there were basically were no revenue models. Companies were raising a lot of money with no plans for revenue.These AI companies have significant revenues today, and companies are investing in it.What I’m more concerned about, honestly, is not Wall Street and a bubble. Others can be concerned about that. I’m concerned about getting enough energy to process all that AI. And at this show, for the first time, we have a Korean company showing the first ever small-scale nuclear-powered energy creation device. We expect more and more of these people rushing to fill this gap because we need the energy, we need it clean and we need a kind of all-of-the-above slution. Shawn Chen, AP Technology Editor
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Is cable television truly dead? The markets are about to test the hypothesis. Shares of Versant Media Group began trading on the Nasdaq Monday under the ticker symbol VSNT, effectively completing Versant’s spinoff from parent company Comcast Corporation. Versant comprises a bundle of cable television networks and similar digital businesses, with notable properties including MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), CNBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, and SYFY. It also includes online platforms such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. Peacock, the popular streaming service owned by NBCUniversal, will remain under the Comcast umbrella, as will the NBC broadcast network and the cable channel Bravo. How is Versant performing on its first trading day? Before trading commenced on Monday, Versant shares were trading at $46.65. Shares had been offered as when-issued stocks on December 15 for $55 per share. In early trading on Monday, Versant stock fell more than 12% shortly after the markets opened. The stock was trading at under $41 a share as of this writing. Versant is going public at a time when cable television subscriptions are at a multi-year low, challenged by online streaming services. A report from S&P Global, published in December, found that traditional cable subscriptions peaked way back in 2012 at more than 101 million American households. Last year, penetration levels were less than half of that. There have been recent glimmers of hope, however: During the third quarter of 2025, pay TV operators actually added more than 300,000 subscribers, the first net gain in eight years, when 318,000 new net subscribers were added during the third quarter of 2017, according to a research report from MoffettNathanson. “Scale, strategy, and leadership” Mark Lazarus, Versants CEO, says he is optimistic about the new company’s future. “As a standalone company, we enter the market with the scale, strategy and leadership to grow and evolve our business model,” Lazarus said in a statement to Fast Company. Versant’s stock will be closely watched by media investors who are awaiting the fate of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which last month agreed to be acquired by Netflix. That deal does not include WBD’s cable networks, which include CNN, TNT, and many others, and which are expected to be spun off into their own company. However, rival Paramount Skydance has been aggressively pursuing the entire company with hostile takeover bids. When the conservative TV network Newsmax went public last year, shares initially topped $265 at the beginning of April. But as of January 5, they are trading at less than $8. Versants spinoff from Comcast was originally announced back in November 2024. A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) showed that during 2024, Versants assets generated more than $7 billion in revenue, which was a decline from the two previous years.
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In his reflections on the 2025 Wall Street Journal CEO Council summit held in December, WSJ Leadership Institute president Alan Murray noted that CEOs are not actually preoccupied with AI, tariffs, or geopolitics. Instead, theyre focused on something far more fundamental: people and culture. How do you build an organization that can adapt, collaborate, and innovate amid persistent volatility? That instinct is correct. Yet one of the most effective tools for strengthening culture and developing talent remains surprisingly underusedskills-based volunteering (SBV). In a world shaped by geopolitical conflict, climate disruptions, pandemic aftershocks, and unpredictable supply chains, companies need employees who can navigate complexity with creativity and resilience. Skills-based volunteering is a proven, powerful way to build those capabilities while contributing meaningfully to communities and giving employees the purposeful work they crave. SBV is unlocking the next wave in talent potential and catalyzing the workforce of the future. WHY SBV DESERVES MORE CORPORATE ATTENTION SBV matches employees professional expertise with community-based organizations needs. Its impact goes well beyond traditional volunteering, to include: 1. Leadership development and creative problem solvingWorking with nonprofits and social enterprisesoften in resource-limited or rapidly changing environmentsexposes employees to new perspectives and teaches agility, systems thinking, and cooperation across differences. These are the exact qualities CEOs describe as essential, but are difficult to cultivate internally. 2. Strengthens culture and engagementEmployees increasingly seek meaningful work and a sense of purpose. SBV offers both. It reconnects teams to shared values, supports well-being, and fosters belonging at a time when engagement across industries remains low. 3. Produces multi-layered returnNonprofits and other host organizations benefit from much-needed skills and networks. Communities receive unprecedented support and critical insights. Employees grow professionally and personally. Companies advance ESG commitments while enhancing their cultures. Few corporate initiatives produce value across so many dimensions. 4. Builds cross-sector fluencyFrom climate resilience to healthcare access to food security to digital equity, the next decade of business challenges will require collaboration across government, civil society, and industry. SBV gives employees practical experience navigating those intersections, a form of strategic literacy that will soon be indispensable. This is why companies across industriesfrom technology and finance to logistics and manufacturinghave integrated SBV into their leadership and culture strategies. A GLOBAL CONTEXT Two developments underscore the timeliness of SBV. The first is that the United Nations designated 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. Although not a major campaign, the initiative still signals a broader recognition that volunteer-driven actionespecially skills-based engagementis essential for achieving the UNs Sustainable Development Goals. Companies that embrace SBV now will be better positioned to contribute meaningfully to that global effort. Second, each January, the World Economic Forum in Davos convenes leaders to tackle the worlds most pressing challenges. Davos is built around the search for solutions. SBV is a solution already available: a practical mechanism for aligning business capability with community needs, strengthening culture while improving outcomes for society. If even a portion of the companies gathering there committed to a coordinated SBV effort, the impact could be immediate and globally resonant. SBV is a practical, proven way to build the resilient, purpose-driven cultures companies say they want while contributing to the broader stability and well-being the world urgently needs. A NOTEWORTHY SBV DEVELOPMENT Against this global backdrop, two organizations known for advancing SBVPyxera Global (my organization) and Common Impactannounced that we are uniting our efforts. This alliance is designed to accelerate the work both have been doing for decades. We will retain our brands and long-standing relationships, but integrate strategically to help companies deploy SBV more effectively at a time when the need is acute. Our alignment reflects a broader shift occurring across the social impact sector: moving from fragmented initiatives to more collaborative, systems-oriented approaches. Our work also extends beyond SBV into partnerships focused on climate action, circular supply chains, economic opportunity and digital inclusionfurther evidence that cross-sector partnership is becoming an essential strategy for addressing complex global challenges. THE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT Alan Murray is right: The central challenge facing CEOs is not technological but human. Yet culture doesnt transform through messaging campaigns or structural reorganizations. It transforms through experiencesthrough opportunities that deepen empathy, expand perspective, and develop new skills. Skills-based volunteering offers exactly that. The companies that embrace it now will be better equipped to navigate the challenges ahead, and to help solve them. Deirdre White is CEO of Pyxera Global.
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