CES 2026: How Emerging Technology is Shaping the Year Ahead
An expert breakdown of CES 2026, exploring how robotics, intelligent devices, and next‑gen computing are shaping technology and professional workflows in 2026.
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Alphabet’s autonomous driving arm, Waymo, announced today that it will bring its self-driving ride-hailing service to Dallas, Texas, by early 2026. The move follows recent expansions into Los Angeles and Austin, as Waymo continues to cement its lead in the U.S. robotaxi race.
The company is partnering with Avis Budget Group to manage vehicle fleets and maintenance operations in Texas — a strategy aimed at scaling faster without building new infrastructure from scratch.
Why it matters:
- Puts Waymo ahead of rivals like Tesla and Zoox in the race to commercialize AVs.
- Brings self-driving tech into one of America’s fastest-growing urban markets.
💰 Ex-OpenAI Exec Raises B for AI Startup
Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI, has raised a massive billion in funding for her new venture, Thinking Machines, just six months after stepping down from her former role.
Backed by major players like Andreessen Horowitz, the startup is building foundational AI models with a strong focus on safety, performance, and open access.
Key points:
- Thinking Machines is now valued at billion pre-launch.
- Expected to compete directly with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind.
🧠 AI Tooling Startup Micro1 Hits 0M Valuation
In another major AI funding round, Micro1, a fast-growing AI data labeling and workflow automation company, has closed a 0 million Series A.
Highlights:
- M in ARR (annual recurring revenue) from enterprise clients.
- Products focused on automated data cleaning and annotation — critical for training LLMs and vision models.
- Backed by Sequoia, Index Ventures, and Nvidia.
🏛️ Trump Unveils “America First” AI Action Plan
On the policy front, former President Donald Trump released a sweeping AI Action Plan, laying out his administration's vision for accelerating U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence.
Key directives:
- Loosen regulations on AI data centers, chip manufacturing, and cloud infrastructure.
- Promote export of U.S.-made AI tools to allied nations.
- Fast-track permits for critical infrastructure tied to AI R&D.
The plan also includes executive orders aiming to repeal certain Biden-era environmental and data privacy restrictions seen as roadblocks to growth.
💡 Takeaway
The U.S. tech landscape is experiencing a perfect storm of:
- Aggressive policy shifts
- Massive private investments
- Breakthrough innovations
From robotaxis to AI mega-funding, America is making bold moves to maintain global leadership in technology — even as competition heats up from China and Europe.
Stay tuned to CortexHub.Studio for more deep dives into how these trends are shaping the future of tech, business, and society.
