Every January, headlines from CES (the annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association) focus on the flashiest gadgets, boldest claims about the future and tech demos designed to spread across social media via 20-second video clips.
But for chief executives, the real value of this Las Vegas gathering lies beyond the show’s exhibit floor darlings. They look to the larger signals to interpret: What feels meaningful? What feels like noise? What could quietly reshape how to think about business?
YPO member Jessica Billingsley is a Managing Partner at MacArthur Holding Company and Founder and Managing Partner of Amata Capital who specializes in strategic investments, capital markets and M&A advisory. Prior to attending CES 2026, she hosted an event with fellow YPO member Jeffrey Marks for their YPO peers, called “Innovation Unleashed: YPO’S Path to CES 2026.” YPO members connected and heard from expert resources, including keynote speaker Del Costy, President and Managing Director for Siemens Digital Industries. Billingsley shares some of the themes that stood out to her beyond the cool robots.
AI Should be doing the right work, with measurable ROI.
For large organizations in 2026, it’s no longer a question of who is using AI (spoiler alert: everyone) but whether it’s meaningfully improving outcomes, productivity or decision-making. Without measurable ROI, AI use in your business will remain experimental rather than strategic.
— Jessica Billingsley share
Billingsley points to the increased focus on agentic AI — systems that act on their own — as an important shift for the coming year.
“We’re spending time focusing on AI that isn’t just a thought partner, chat or this manual thing, but that takes action,” she says. “Then we’re looking to see where we can implement that in responsible ways in our businesses, in a way that’s measurable.”
One way to ensure your AI implementation is responsible and strategic: Frame it around relief, not replacement.
“Getting team buy-in is really important, so people don’t feel like their jobs are being replaced,” says Billingsley. She sat in on a conversation from JP Morgan at CES where they described their process as identifying “no joy” tasks and using AI to eliminate them. When teams can use AI to get time back, not take roles away, you can build trust through technology.
The future could be fragmented, inward-facing and comfortable.
It was clear to Billingsley after attending CES that there won’t be a single virtual world where everyone gathers.
“I would even say the term metaverse is dated,” she says, adding that what was interesting to her is that this wasn’t a foregone conclusion mere years ago.
“We didn’t know if we’d have one metaverse, the way we have one internet, where everyone connects in the same place, or if we would have multiple AR, VR-type experiences the way we have multiple apps,” she says.
As Billingsley walked the demo floor, that fragmentation felt tangible. AR and VR glasses everywhere. A proliferation of massage chairs; personalized realities. “There was this broader idea of making yourself very comfortable and creating your own reality where you can live your life through screens.” Billingsley says the experience evoked a subtle Wall-E feeling — technology designed to help us move less, engage less and curate increasingly private worlds.
The technology itself doesn’t have to be the issue, she explains, adding that the leadership question is how executives choose to integrate it in their businesses and lives. In a fragmented world, intention matters more than immersion.
Still, hedge your tech bets toward human connection.
Despite all of the ways that new tech on display will contribute to more personalized, screen-based realities, Billingsley came into CES with a conviction that was only reinforced by the time she left: Technology that enables human connection, not replaces it, is a smart place to invest attention and capital.
She points to a standout example of human-centered tech she encountered in Vegas, Private Label QR. Essentially, it’s a smart sticky note with a QR code that you can peel and stick onto anything from luggage to pet tags or event gear. Then, you scan with your phone to store and share information such as notes, photos or recordings, and you can set it to be private, shared with a group or public.
Sometimes tech is highly sophisticated. Sometimes it’s deceptively simple. But products that help people share, organize and interact in the real world in approachable ways may prove more popular than those designed to pull us further inward.
“Humans will always want to connect with other humans,” emphasizes Billingsley. “And technology that enables that connection is where I want to focus.”
