Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

As 2026 begins, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more visible to the public in increasingly concrete ways. Once largely confined to laboratories, data centers, and specialized industrial settings, AI is now steadily extending into everyday work, consumer activity, and household life. This shift is expected to become more pronounced in 2026, as AI-enabled products move gradually from showcase demonstrations to routine, practical use.

The CES 2026, scheduled to open in Las Vegas on January 6, is likely to offer a snapshot of the latest developments in this shift. Similar trends are unfolding in China. According to China News Service, Unitree Robotics opened its first physical retail store in Beijing on December 31, allowing consumers to engage directly with robots designed for home use, education, entertainment, and eldercare. 

These developments at the close of 2025 and the start of 2026 provide tangible glimpses into the evolving AI landscape, offering important insights into how the technology is progressing and how it is poised to integrate into and help transform various industries in the near term.

There are growing signs that generative AI is accelerating its integration into daily life, demonstrating clear signs of accelerating pace of its expansion. The momentum is expected to persist all year, emerging as one of the key directions for the AI evolution. 

The development is being fueled by continuous technological progress which is set to create new consumer opportunities. As generative AI matures and its applications diversify, its influence across many industrial sectors will only deepen, reshaping the way people engage with the new technology in their work, creativity, and daily lives.

The integration of AI into daily life depends on several factors, including application costs, reliability, adaptability, and market scale. In this context, developments in China are noteworthy and carry global importance. Chinese companies will keep on engaging with their global counterparts, participating in events such as CES 2026. 

Currently, AI is rapidly entering our daily life, taking form in consumer devices, robotics, and other practical applications. Recent examples underscore this progress. 

According to Chinese media reports, AI‑powered robots are already being used in eldercare homes and community settings in many Chinese cities, where they assist with daily activities, health monitoring, companionship and rehabilitation - illustrating how AI applications are expanding into practical, life‑enhancing roles that go beyond novelty.

This shift in robotics is gradually influencing industry perceptions. Once regarded primarily as marketing stunts or isolated demonstrations, robot deployments are increasingly seen as signs of broader AI adoption. Some experts view these developments as part of a larger trend, with AI expected to expand its impact through 2026 and beyond.

According to a global survey of technology leaders by IEEE in November 2025, a majority of CIOs, CTOs, and IT directors from major industries worldwide said that agentic AI will keep activating new innovation in 2026, moving beyond pilot stages into massmarket and everyday adoption such as personal scheduling, data analysis, health monitoring, and task automation.

During recent events in China and abroad, many companies increasingly showcased humanoid robots that can greet customers, take orders, and perform human tasks, signaling practical use cases beyond laboratories.

Beyond robotics, AI applications are also spreading through smart consumer products. Market research indicates that voice-based AI companions - embedded in smartphones, speakers, and a variety of wearables - are projected to grow rapidly, making AI assistance a routine part of everyday interactions.

AI-powered innovations are expected to create new market demand and open up fresh opportunities. And, as new applications emerge, AI-driven consumption is expected to influence consumer habits, fostering the growth of a technology-driven market.

China's AI industry is advancing rapidly in the past several years, as more smartphones, laptops, cars, underground mining machines, schools and hospitals are now powered by the new technology. As the AI market continues to evolve, both China and other economies stand to benefit from AI.

In 2026, one of the important considerations for the international economy will be how to effectively harness AI and the new opportunities it will create. To realize this, countries will need to cooperate more closely so that this new technology will benefit all of us on this planet. 

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn