Home AI CES 2026: What’s Real – And What’s BS – When It Comes To AI
AI

CES 2026: What’s Real – And What’s BS – When It Comes To AI

By

SHARE:
Jamie Seltzer, global chief data and technology officer, Havas Media Network, speaks to AdExchanger at CES 2026.
Jamie Seltzer, global chief data and technology officer, Havas Media Network, chats with AdExchanger at CES 2026.

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, AdExchanger and the Chief Marketer Network asked digital advertising insiders for their perspective on where the industry stands as we kick off the new year.

We got their takes on trends to watch in 2026, as well as what the industry got wrong last year and how it can learn from those mistakes.

We also asked them to separate the real AI use cases having an impact on the market today from the AI hype they heard at the show.

Check out the videos below for hot takes from these industry experts:

  • Tony Katsur, CEO, IAB Tech Lab
  • Tim Vanderhook, CEO, and Chris Vanderhook, COO, Viant
  • André Swanston, CEO, PHȲND
  • Jamie Seltzer, global chief data and technology officer, Havas Media Network
  • Rob Deichert, COO, TripleLift
  • Dave Olesnevich, head of product, The Weather Company
  • Joshua John, senior director, product strategy, Yahoo DSP
  • Chris Signore, SVP, business development, Magnite

What’s something the ad industry got wrong in 2025 that you hope to learn from this year?

What’s a trend to watch in 2026?

What’s an AI use case you feel positive about for this year?

Subscribe

AdExchanger Daily

Get our editors’ roundup delivered to your inbox every weekday.

Daily Roundup

Comic: Gamechanger (Google lost the DOJ's search antitrust case)
Daily News Roundup

Maybe Europe Will Break Up Google; Best Practices For Disclosing AI Ads

What’s something you’ve heard about AI at CES that you want to call BS on?

How would you describe CES 2026 in three words or one phrase?

Related Stories

Must Read

Commerce

New Startup Pinch AI Tackles The Growing Problem Of Ecommerce Return Scams

Fraud is eating into retail profits. A new startup called Pinch AI just launched with $5 million in funding to fight back.

Comic: Shopper Marketing Data
Commerce

CPG Data Seller SPINS Moves Into Media With MikMak Acquisition

On Wednesday, retail and CPG data company SPINS added a new piece with its acquisition of MikMak, a click-to-buy ad tech and analytics startup that helps optimize their commerce media.

Marketers

How Valvoline Shifted Marketing Gears When It Became A Pure-Play Retail Brand

Believe it or not, car oil change service company Valvoline is in the midst of a fascinating retail marketing transformation.

Privacy! Commerce! Connected TV! Read all about it. Subscribe to AdExchanger Newsletters
AdExchanger's Big Story podcast with journalistic insights on advertising, marketing and ad tech
PODCAST: The Big Story

The Big Story: Live From CES 2026

Agents, streamers and robots, oh my! Live from the C-Space campus at the Aria Casino in Las Vegas, our team breaks down the most interesting ad tech trends we saw at CES this year.

Monopoly Man looks on at the DOJ vs. Google ad tech antitrust trial (comic).
antitrust

2025: The Year Google Lost In Court And Won Anyway

From afar, it looks like Google had a rough year in antitrust court. But zoom in a bit and it becomes clear that the past year went about as well as Google could have hoped for.

Measurement

Why 2025 Marked The End Of The Data Clean Room Era

A few years ago, “data clean rooms” were all the ad tech trades could talk about. Fast-forward to 2026, and maybe advertisers don’t need to know what a data clean room is after all.

Popular

  1. Comic: Revenue "Sharing" (starring Marck Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai)
    Publishers

    Partnerize Wants To Reimagine Affiliate Attribution – And It Doesn’t Involve Clicks

    Traffic is down, but publisher content is still driving purchases. Partnerize’s new attribution model lets publishers see what’s working and strike fair compensation deals.

  2. Comic: Shopper Marketing Data
    Commerce

    CPG Data Seller SPINS Moves Into Media With MikMak Acquisition

    On Wednesday, retail and CPG data company SPINS added a new piece with its acquisition of MikMak, a click-to-buy ad tech and analytics startup that helps optimize their commerce media.

  3. AI

    This Startup Says Good Isn’t Good Enough To Win The AI Search Game

    Unusual, a new AI discoverability startup, analyzes how brands appear within AI search and provides suggestions on how to better rank.

  4. Joe Zappa, CEO and founder of Sharp Pen Media
    OPINION: Data-Driven Thinking

    Goodbye, Outcomes Era? Nah. In 2026, It’s Picking Up Steam

    argue the Outcomes Era is already fading, writes Joe Zappa. But the evidence suggests the opposite. The Outcomes Era isn’t receding; it’s accelerating.

  5. Marketers

    Linkby Raises $15 Million For its Hybrid PR And Affiliate Marketing Network

    Linkby, which connects brands with publisher content that advertisers pay for based on reader engagement, announced its $15 million Series B on Tuesday.