CES 2026 highlighted how AI, automation, and connected technologies are reshaping insurance. From property risk and auto mobility to underwriting and operations, insurers must move beyond experimentation and build operating models that turn emerging technology into lasting value.
Amid a backdrop of trade tensions and economic flux, technological innovation continues to surge ahead. CES 2026 once again highlighted the remarkable speed, scale, and complexity of global tech advancements, with over 4,100 exhibitors presenting cutting-edge ideas, projects, and products. Our team tracks these innovations to understand their impact on the insurance industry. Below is a curated list of themes and technologies our team has identified from this year’s show, each with significant implications for insurance.
Shifting focus in consumer electronics
Over the past decade, we have witnessed an explosion of personalized and embedded devices and systems that operate through algorithms, sensors, and connectivity. Now, in 2026, the landscape of consumer electronics is shifting from traditional products to application-focused solutions. Companies are leveraging complex computing and intelligence in areas like robotics, gaming, and data centers, transforming how these electronic systems interact with the physical world. Technologies now possess the ability to perceive their surroundings through sensors and data, offering real-time interaction and automation. This contextual awareness allows systems to respond intelligently and operate independently.
For the insurance industry, these advancements are pivotal. Real-time data from smart devices can lead to flexible pricing models, personalized policy offerings, and proactive risk management, ultimately enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. For example, AI-powered 4G dashcams have the potential to revolutionize vehicle insurance by providing real-time data and insights, improving risk assessment, and streamlining claims processing.
Prevention and safety in design
Many innovations at CES 2026 are designed specifically to address emerging risks, such as those associated with lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are very energy-dense and flammable, posing high fire and explosion risks due to “thermal runaway,” the self-heating reaction when damaged.
A few exhibitors took on this challenge, addressing it in different ways. Flashpoint Safety Systems introduced a fire prevention system with battery sensors and gas detection technology. Taking a different approach, Donut labs and Verge Motorcycles partnered to create an alternative EV motorcycle battery with new all-solid-state technology that emphasize safety by providing thermal stability and faster charging, reducing the risk of thermal runaway.
Addressing adoption challenges
As new technologies have emerged, it’s not uncommon for adoption to stagnate as they struggle with safety risks or integration into preexisting systems. Innovations this year increasingly focused on overcoming these barriers. For instance, CP6 has developed ACAT data-collection technologies to certify autonomous vehicle status during accidents. This data prioritizes safety and reliability for self-driving cars. It can also be used by drivers to negotiate lower premiums and predict maintenance and diagnostic needs. Additionally, it streamlines data retrieval, aiding insurers in claims triaging and standardizing reporting for NHTSA standards.
This innovative approach not only enhances home safety but has the potential to lower premiums for policyholders who adopt the non-invasive safety technologies.
AI for internal controls and AI administration
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, AI systems once again stood at the forefront of innovation. With systems increasingly growing in scale and automation, it is becoming crucial to establish similar operational controls at scale. Agent orchestration systems were a highlight this year, with advanced automation tools such as Core Trust Link providing a multi-agent orchestration tool for enhanced document security, internal control authorization management, and anomaly detection, ensuring robust organizational protection. Additionally, Avon AI advanced AI tools are being developed for the administration, automated testing, monitoring, and governing of AI systems, ensuring they operate efficiently and ethically.
What Insurance Leaders Should Focus on Next
As CES 2026 demonstrates, technological innovation shows no signs of slowing down. It’s easy to be captivated by headlines about butler robots, yet LG’s chore robot, struggling to close an oven door or reach into a laundry basket, reminds us that even cutting-edge tech can have off-days. This serves as a humorous lesson in patience and the reality that while the future is bright, it occasionally stumbles.
The implications of CES 2026 are not about chasing the newest tools. They are about building adaptable foundations. Insurance leaders should focus on a few key priorities:
- Treat AI and automation as core infrastructure, not one-off initiatives
- Invest in data quality and governance before expanding data volume
- Reevaluate underwriting and claims models as risk becomes more dynamic
- Design workflows that balance automation with human judgment
- Align technology strategy with regulatory, customer, and workforce realities
The insurers that succeed will be those that translate emerging technology into practical, scalable capabilities rather than experimental pilots.
Dive deeper into the data and insights behind today’s most important insurance technology trends.
