As CES 2026 approaches, experts anticipate significant advancements in smart home technology driven by artificial intelligence. Predictions highlight more conversational voice assistants, noninvasive presence sensing, and automated routines that reduce human input. These developments aim to address longstanding issues like compatibility and privacy in connected homes.
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 is set to showcase transformative AI applications in smart homes, moving beyond current limitations such as unreliable voice commands and integration challenges. According to a CNET analysis, manufacturers will increasingly market products with the "AI" label, though not all will incorporate genuine advanced features like large language models or generative AI. Instead, some may rebrand basic automation or older machine learning as artificial intelligence, potentially confusing consumers and diluting the term's meaning.
Conversational voice assistants are expected to evolve into more intuitive companions, similar to chatting with advanced AI systems. These assistants will handle follow-up queries, interpret context, and offer proactive suggestions, as seen in recent tests of Gemini for Home and Alexa Plus. Third-party options, including Josh AI and Home Assistant updates, along with brand-specific implementations like those from Lepro, promise smoother interactions. At CES, demonstrations might include refrigerators suggesting dinner recipes, televisions highlighting trending actors, or lamps adjusting for activities like yoga. Portable robots, smart displays, explanatory security alerts, and even video doorbells capable of full conversations—such as the upcoming Alexa Plus feature—could make appearances.
Presence-sensing technology will gain prominence with noninvasive methods that detect human activity through subtle Wi-Fi signal changes, enhancing privacy over traditional motion sensors. Already featured in devices like the Nest Learning Thermostat and Philips Hue bulbs, this approach supports applications in elderly monitoring and is poised for broader adoption in security and lighting systems.
Finally, AI-driven automation will simplify home routines, which currently deter users due to setup complexity in platforms like Google Home or Apple Home. Google's recent Gemini demo illustrated AI handling these tasks autonomously, enabling command-free environments where devices respond to learned patterns. Terms like "AI copilots" or "agentic AI" may describe these self-managing systems in security, energy management, and lighting. However, such autonomy raises fresh privacy concerns, particularly as homes relinquish more control to algorithms.
