U.S. Government Takes Center Stage at CES 2026 as Policy and AI Converge
LAS VEGAS — A wave of U.S. government leadership took center stage at CES 2026, underscoring the growing role of public policy in shaping the future of technology innovation. High-level officials, including Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Michael Kratsios, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, and newly confirmed U.S. Chief Technology Officer Ethan Klein, converged at CES this week for major panels, strategy sessions, and forward-looking discussions.
Officials emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration, workforce development, global competitiveness, and regulatory clarity as AI and other emerging technologies rapidly transform industries.
A key highlight of the week was “America’s AI Future: A Fireside Chat”, where Director Kratsios joined CTA President Kinsey Fabrizio to lay out the administration’s strategic priorities on artificial intelligence.
Kratsios framed the U.S. approach around bolstering innovation, infrastructure, and global deployment — saying that to “win the AI race,” the country must not only sustain research and development but also remove regulatory barriers that slow commercialization and market entry. He noted that inconsistent state-level AI rules increase compliance costs, particularly for startups and smaller firms.
A central theme of Kratsios’s remarks was the urgent need to upgrade physical and digital infrastructure, including data centers and energy systems capable of supporting massive AI workloads — and to streamline permitting processes that often hold projects up. “The future is already here. Our job is to make it deployable,” he said.
Workforce development was another major focus, with Kratsios stressing that AI literacy needs to start in K-12 education and continue through reskilling programs that link Americans to AI-related jobs — echoing a broader push to expand access to opportunity in an AI-driven economy with the newly announced Tech Force initiative.
Governors Mike Dunleavy (Alaska) and Joe Lombardo (Nevada) joined the conversation on regional tech ecosystems, showcasing how localized leadership drives innovation, investment, and job creation across sectors from energy tech to autonomous systems. Their remarks highlighted the diversity of U.S. tech growth beyond traditional Silicon Valley hubs.
Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Helberg engaged audiences on how technology, security, and statecraft intersect — particularly in semiconductors and AI — underscoring the strategic link between technological leadership and national competitiveness.
The week also saw congressional staffers and policy advisors actively engaging with industry leaders on topics from trade policy to cybersecurity. These discussions, often held informally on the show floor as well as in scheduled sessions, reflected a broader trend of policymakers using CES as a platform to inform and shape legislative priorities in real time. One notable discussion hosted by CTA’s Michael Petricone analyzed the “Litigation Tax,” and how lawsuits stifle U.S. innovation industry leaders, and Chief Counsel for Intellectual Property of the House Judiciary Committee John Lee joined the discussion.
CES 2026 wasn’t just about gadgets; it was equally a policy summit, with sessions addressing autonomous systems, digital trade, competition, and workforce issues. Government participation — from federal offices to state leadership — signaled a deepening recognition that technology policy and innovation strategy are now inseparable.
As one CTA official noted ahead of the show, CES has become “where the world comes to define the future of technology” — and with policymakers playing a leading role this year, that future looks poised to be shaped by both innovation and sensible governance.
Here’s more government officials spotted at CES as reported in POLITICO:
OUT AND ABOUT — Official Washington showed up in force at CES 2026 this week, where senators, governors, Trump officials and top regulators joined Consumer Technology Association leadership — Gary Shapiro, Kinsey Fabrizio, Tiffany Moore and Michael Petricone — turning the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding hotels into a hub for conversations on AI, health tech, mobility, competition and U.S. innovation. SPOTTED across CES stages: Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, Deputy CMS Administrator Chris Klomp, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth, FHWA Administrator Sean McMaster, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison, FCC Chair Brendan Carr, FCC Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty, Michael Kratsios, William Kimmitt, Darío Gil, Jacob Helberg, Ethan Klein, Sushan Demirjian and Conner Prochaska.