Key Takeaways from CES 2026: How AI Is Becoming the Infrastructure of Technology and Commerce

Starting the year in Las Vegas once again felt like the right way to reset perspective. Kicking off the new year at CES 2026, surrounded by rapid technological change and real-world innovation, was genuinely energising and eye-opening.

As the Mentor Amazon Platform invests heavily in AI-driven systems, data infrastructure and decision intelligence, CES allows us to stay grounded in real-world developments — not just trends.

Highlights from CES 2026

CES this year felt less like a showcase of individual products and more like a five-year roadmap unfolding in real time.

• AI is no longer a feature; it is becoming infrastructure.
• AI systems are moving beyond execution and stepping into decision-making roles.
• Interaction is shifting from command-based to intent-based — systems understand what you want, not just what you say.
• Hardware, retail and logistics are being rebuilt around AI-native workflows.

What this means for Amazon brands

The brands that win the next five years will be the ones that treat AI as core infrastructure for advertising, listings, forecasting and customer experience — not as a side experiment.