CES 2026 Physical AI and Robotics: The New Frontier of Mobility
CES 2026 highlights the rise of Physical AI and humanoids, while Trump's comments on Chinese EVs create new geopolitical ripples in the mobility sector.
The void left by U.S. automakers at the Las Vegas Convention Center has been filled by something far more agile. CES 2026 marks a pivotal shift where cars take a backseat to Physical AI. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's vision of 'embodied AI' is no longer a concept—it's driving the future of transportation.
CES 2026 Physical AI and Robotics: Beyond the Dashboard
According to TechCrunch, companies like Waymo, Zoox, and Geely dominated the floor, but it was Hyundai that stole the spotlight. Instead of unveiling new sedans, the Korean giant showcased the Atlas humanoid robot from its subsidiary Boston Dynamics. This signals a broader trend where mobility companies are pivoting toward general-purpose robotics.
The financial stakes are rising fast. Mobileye recently acquired humanoid startup Mentee Robotics for $900 million. When asked about the hype surrounding humanoids, Mobileye President Amnon Shashua compared it to the early days of the internet: "Hype means companies are overvalued for a time, but it doesn't mean the domain isn't real. Humanoids are real."
Geopolitical Shifts: Trump's Stance on Chinese EVs
While tech advances, political friction remains. President Trump recently expressed openness to Chinese automakers building plants in the U.S., a move that has reportedly left industry lobbyists "freaking out." This potential policy shift clashes with the 2025 Department of Commerce rule that effectively restricts Chinese-linked connected vehicle hardware and software due to security concerns.
In a stark contrast, Canada is opening its doors wider. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a massive reduction in import taxes on Chinese EVs, slashing the rate from 100% to just 6.1%. This decoupling of U.S. and Canadian trade policy could create a complex North American supply chain dynamic in the coming years.
Authors
Related Articles
Nvidia shipped roughly a billion RISC-V cores in 2024, then announced it would run CUDA on the open standard. We break down how royalty-free instruction sets and open software stacks are trying to route around CUDA's lock-in. Part 2 of the Semiconductor Sovereignty series.
US AI-chip export controls split into three layers in the first half of 2026 — January easing, a May crackdown on circumvention, and a pending bill. Nvidia erased China from its guidance and still posted a record $81.6 billion quarter. A look at the export policy that both shields and cages it.
AMD's MI325X matches or beats Nvidia on memory and bandwidth — yet Nvidia's 86-92% share holds. The real moat is CUDA, 20 years in the making. Part 1 of 4.
Snowflake's new $6 billion AWS contract is about more than cloud spending. It signals a shift in AI infrastructure—away from Nvidia GPUs and toward cheaper, homegrown chips for the agent era.
Nvidia shipped roughly a billion RISC-V cores in 2024, then announced it would run CUDA on the open standard. We break down how royalty-free instruction sets and open software stacks are trying to route around CUDA's lock-in. Part 2 of the Semiconductor Sovereignty series.
US AI-chip export controls split into three layers in the first half of 2026 — January easing, a May crackdown on circumvention, and a pending bill. Nvidia erased China from its guidance and still posted a record $81.6 billion quarter. A look at the export policy that both shields and cages it.
AMD's MI325X matches or beats Nvidia on memory and bandwidth — yet Nvidia's 86-92% share holds. The real moat is CUDA, 20 years in the making. Part 1 of 4.
Snowflake's new $6 billion AWS contract is about more than cloud spending. It signals a shift in AI infrastructure—away from Nvidia GPUs and toward cheaper, homegrown chips for the agent era.
Thoughts
Share your thoughts on this article
Sign in to join the conversation