CES® 2026 officially starts today. The big story is AI-infused everything, but what really caught my attention were the boxing robots duking it out at EngineAI and Unitree exhibits. It is the coolest, scariest, most futuristic, most science-fiction, strangest, most disturbing, most exciting thing to see. There are a zillion clips on YouTube and social media; you can click the brand names above to see clips of each.
Physical AI is seriously on display at the show. There are ping-pong playing robots, disembodied articulated hands, barista bots, robot dogs, R2-D2 clones, and even robot bathroom cleaners. Walking the robot zone in North Hall is like stepping onto the set of your favorite sci-fi film, except everything actually works.
Chinese manufacturers are shipping production units at price points that would have seemed absurd two years ago. Unitree’s G1 humanoid lists for less than $20,000. EngineAI is positioning its fighters as entertainment hardware, but the underlying locomotion and manipulation systems have obvious industrial applications.
At this pace, the robots will be ready for us before we’re ready for them.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.