Self Driving And AI Will Be The Focus For Automakers At CES This Year

Autonomous driving and artificial intelligence are set to dominate this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas as the industry searches for its next growth engine after watching electric vehicle sentiment cool over the last 12 months.

As automakers pull back EV rollouts and cancel programs altogether in the wake of changing U.S. policy and sliding demand, suppliers, tech firms, and startups are using CES to reposition autonomy and AI as the next frothy frontier worth betting on.

According to Reuters, a steady stream of announcements centered on advanced driver-assistance systems, autonomous hardware, and software partnerships are expected at CES this year. For better or worse, the goal is to reduce or eliminate the role of the human driver.

CES, the domain of televisions and consumer gadgets, has become an important stage for automakers over the past decade, particularly as EVs moved from novel concepts to showroom reality.

With EV incentives scaled back under the Trump administration and manufacturers absorbing the cost of tariffs on imported vehicles and components, most major automakers are not planning EV debuts at the show.

Autonomous vehicles, while still a difficult business case, are attracting renewed interest, particularly as the current administration attempts to streamline autonomous vehicle regulations with the aim of a unified national standard, helping to create a more favorable regulatory environment for robotaxis.

The Department of Transportation has already proposed to remove requirements for human-centric features like windshield wipers, defrosting systems, and gear shifts, along with efforts to reduce crash reporting transparency and exemptions for testing vehicles to cut costs and spur innovation. Look for these proposals to become official in the spring of 2026.

Robotaxis aren't the only focus. Driver-assistance systems in consumer vehicles continue to advance, with features like hands-free highway driving becoming more common. Several automakers and startups are now aiming for “eyes-off” functionality in defined or mapped environments, including urban streets—GM is even planning to let you watch movies while behind the wheel.

But the costs remain the dominant concern, as software features continue to drive up the price of vehicles. Automakers are entering CES under pressure to rein in spending after billions were sunk into EV programs that no longer align with near-term demand. The long tail of "software as a service" subscription demand is a must for an industry desperate to clawback some of the sunk costs.

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