By Grace Li, Student in the M.S. in Technology Management Program, Columbia University School of Professional Studies
I first attended CES, the world’s largest consumer technology trade show, in 2016. Back then, I was helping a smart-tracking startup from Asia acquire customers worldwide. Today, that technology is widely known as the Apple AirTag.
This year felt full circle. After a 10-year journey across the U.S. and Asia, running ambitious marketing campaigns on the global CES stage and helping drive advanced power technologies from mobile into AI, I entered a new phase in my life.
I’m now a graduate student in Columbia’s M.S. in Technology Management (TMGT) program, studying how technology leaders navigate the frontiers of AI, robotics, and autonomous driving.
During my first semester, one idea stayed with me: understanding the real frontiers of technology beyond the buzzwords is a leadership skill, and CES is one of the best places to sharpen it. At the same time, in our Raising Capital class led by Wall Street VC Joy Marcus, I witnessed classmates launching AI startups. Almost everyone is building something. Inspired by that energy, I developed a prototype for an AI-enabled marketplace and decided to experience the AI frontier firsthand at CES.
My first takeaway from the show: each AI player operates with a different playbook. Companies like NVIDIA are building the “pickaxes and shovels” of the AI era. From GPUs and CPUs to data center racks, physical AI tools, and industrial automation systems, NVIDIA is constructing a deeply integrated foundation designed to power everyone else’s innovation. Meanwhile, companies like Lenovo are taking an integrator-first approach, embracing multiple ecosystems and creating iconic entertainment platforms that demand immersive computing and massive data processing. Lenovo also turned the Las Vegas Sphere into the world’s largest canvas to demonstrate how AI can reshape creative industries and entertainment.
Foundation builders create the tools, integrators turn them into products, and end users experience the impact. It’s an AI economy unfolding in real time.
Autonomous driving also felt noticeably more mature this year at CES. The conversation is no longer about whether the technology works, but about which car to choose. Tensor positioned autonomy as situational, safe, and intelligent. Instead of promising universal self-driving everywhere, the company clearly defined contexts that make the technology deployable in the here and now. NVIDIA showcased a new ecosystem that enables autonomous driving at the edge, in real time, with Amazon’s Zoox vehicles proving the concept on the Vegas Strip.
Robotics is a major battleground at CES 2026, with leading players from the U.S. and China putting on a full-scale show. Unitree emphasized affordability and scale, bringing humanoid and quadruped robots closer to education, research, and consumer use. Meanwhile, Boston Dynamics focused on precision and industrial reliability, for logistics and enterprise deployment. Both companies are shaping how robots move from labs into real life—but through very different strategies. Unitree optimizes for accessibility; Boston Dynamics optimizes for performance.
We are at a beginning-of-the-iPhone moment for humanoid robots. Some robots displayed at CES were still immature—toy-like, simple in design, and rough around the edges. One of the latest versions from Unitree couldn’t even stand still because it was too tall, while another performed a perfect 360-degree flip. Yet, attendees weren’t analyzing specs; they were engaging with the machines, touching them, and even trying to make friends with these new creations.
From Neo cleaning floors at GTC 2025 to Unitree boxing and flipping at CES 2026, robotics and physical AI are all in. Emerging players continue to enter the field. This is not just a race, but a shared human exploration.
CES 2026 reinforced what we emphasize in our program: AI is leveling the playing field, and next-generation technology leaders must stand at the frontier—to understand how these systems work, where they apply, and how to shape their future. Startups can be built faster than ever. Innovation is moving in every direction. Robotics may arrive sooner than we expect. Are we witnessing history? I believe we are.
This moment should feel empowering. As a tech marketer, I can now build compelling websites and mobile apps in days, generate stunning graphics in seconds, and collaborate with machines in ways that once seemed impossible. It's a limitless future, and it’s our generation’s moment to lean in, to build, and to lead.
About the Program
The Master of Science in Technology Management at Columbia University prepares graduates to lead digital transformation, and align technology and business strategy with an ethical lens. Through experiential learning, industry partnerships, and Columbia-supported research, students gain fluency in digital platforms and emerging technologies, and learn to design human-centered solutions that drive innovation and sustainable impact.
The program is available for part-time or full-time enrollment online or on campus in NYC. Learn more about the program here.
