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?

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?

Tagged in:

Related Stories

Must Read

CTV

LinkNYC Kiosks Have Started Airing World Cup Games – TV Ads And All

The cinematic trope of people stopping to watch the news on a storefront TV display feels pretty out of date today. But sometimes, life can still imitate art.

Publishers

How TIME’s CMS Transition Laid The Foundation For Its AI-Driven Content Overhaul

The CMS migration helped unify TIME’s fragmented content data after years of platform transitions under multiple owners. This enabled TIME to launch its own AI search product and convert archival content into AI-friendly “markdown” pages.

Marketers

Adobe Advertising Just Launched Its Own Custom Algorithms Product

Last week, Adobe Advertising announced the general release of its own Custom Algorithms product, which is “a huge departure from the TubeMogul days,” Erwin Castellanos, GM of Adobe Advertising, tells AdExchanger.

Privacy! Commerce! Connected TV! Read all about it. Subscribe to AdExchanger Newsletters
AI

MFA Ad Spend Is Increasing. Is AI Slop To Blame?

This year, the percentage of ad spend going toward made-for-advertising (MFA) sites went up instead of down for the first time since 2023.

Marketers

Kickbacks Takes An Outsider’s View While Bringing Ads To AI Agents

Andrew McCalip is a founding engineer at Varda Space Industries, where he oversees the manufacturing of things like hypersonic reentry vehicles and satellite buses.

CTV

CTV Buyers Are Getting The Show-Level Performance Optimization They’ve Always Wanted

A collaboration between InterMedia Advertising, Peer39 and Pontiac Intelligence provided show-level cost-per-acquisition data for 94% of CTV ad impressions.

Popular

  1. Rotem Shaul, CEO, Primis
    OPINION: The Sell Sider

    Dynamic Take Rates Are A Market-Wide Squeeze Disguised As Innovation

    The pitch for dynamic take rates is reasonable. Total volume goes up, and the publisher sees more impressions clearing. But the problem is where the extra volume comes from. 

  2. CTV

    CTV Buyers Are Getting The Show-Level Performance Optimization They’ve Always Wanted

    A collaboration between InterMedia Advertising, Peer39 and Pontiac Intelligence provided show-level cost-per-acquisition data for 94% of CTV ad impressions.

  3. AI

    MFA Ad Spend Is Increasing. Is AI Slop To Blame?

    This year, the percentage of ad spend going toward made-for-advertising (MFA) sites went up instead of down for the first time since 2023.

  4. Marketers

    Kickbacks Takes An Outsider’s View While Bringing Ads To AI Agents

    Andrew McCalip is a founding engineer at Varda Space Industries, where he oversees the manufacturing of things like hypersonic reentry vehicles and satellite buses.

  5. Marketers

    Adobe Advertising Just Launched Its Own Custom Algorithms Product

    Last week, Adobe Advertising announced the general release of its own Custom Algorithms product, which is “a huge departure from the TubeMogul days,” Erwin Castellanos, GM of Adobe Advertising, tells AdExchanger.