From Novelty to Scale: Wesley ter Haar’s 5 Megatrends from CES 2026

At CES 2026, the neon glow of Las Vegas wasn’t just reflecting off new screens – it was illuminating a fundamental shift in the tech industry. In a candid sit-down at the LA Times Studios and Monks lounge, Wesley ter Haar, Chief AI and Revenue Officer at Monks, shared his front-row perspective on why this year feels like the moment the “AI bubble” finally began to crystallize into real-world utility.

Speaking with interviewer Faith Pinnow at The Foundry, ter Haar outlined five pivotal takeaways that define the current landscape of innovation.

1. Physical AI That Actually Works

Just a few years ago, AI at CES felt like a gimmick – “the first Ikea of AI,” as ter Haar put it, where every product was just a shell for a new buzzword. In 2026, we’ve entered the era of Physical AI.

“We’re seeing physical AI that actually works,” ter Haar noted. “From robot servers to self-driving cars, the intelligence infrastructure has finally caught up to the hardware, making these integrations actually useful.”

2. The “Quantified Surrounding”

The “quantified self” era of rings and bracelets has evolved. Ter Haar observed a shift toward the quantified surrounding, where wearables like smart glasses and pens are increasingly designed to listen to and watch our environments. This “always-on” trend is driving a cultural undercurrent that ter Haar believes will force us to rethink privacy and the way we interact with space.

3. The Jump in Compute Efficiency

A personal highlight for ter Haar was the “Woodstock of AI” – the rapid advancement in NVIDIA’s AI tech stack. He predicts that the current massive investments in energy efficiency and compute power by hyperscalers will manifest in significantly more intelligent models within the next six to nine months.

4. Convergence and the Startup Bubble

As a Chief AI Officer, ter Haar hears countless pitches. He noted that while intelligence is more accessible, startups are increasingly building versions of the same product.

“A lot of things that used to be separate silos start collapsing and converging,” he explained. While this efficiency is good for organizations, it signals a coming “collapse” for the startup scene as redundant companies compete for the same market share.

5. Brands as Operational Infrastructure

The final takeaway centers on the existential question for marketers: Do people still watch ads in an agent-driven world? Ter Haar suggests that the focus for brands is moving away from the technology itself and toward the human element.

“A lot of the brand conversations we’re having is: technology is ready now, how do you adopt and adapt at scale? And that is going to be easier said than done.”

Looking Toward 2027: Demo to Scale

When asked what he’s most excited to revisit next year, ter Haar didn’t hesitate: Deployable robotics. He predicts that by CES 2027, the “cool demos” we see today will be fully scaled systems in homes and factories that “actually just work” thanks to matured intelligence infrastructure.

As ter Haar wrapped up, his message was clear: we are moving from the era of “made with AI” to the era of AI as a silent, essential operating system.