A senior slate of U.S. government leaders, including White House advisors, cabinet-level officials, regulators, and members of Congress, will headline CES 2026, as the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) expands its lineup of policymakers shaping technology, innovation, and economic competitiveness.
CTA announced that speakers at the January 6–9 event in Las Vegas will include Presidential Science and Technology Advisor Michael Kratsios; U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.); Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill; Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg; Under Secretary for Science and Genesis Mission Director Dr. Darío Gil; Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt; Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson; and Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr.
“We are thrilled to welcome these architects of U.S. technology policy and enforcement to CES 2026,” said Gary Shapiro, CEO and vice chair of CTA. “Technology is the engine of the American economy, and these leaders recognize industry and government must work together to boost American innovation and competitiveness.”
The participation underscores CES’s growing role as a convening ground not only for global technology companies, but also for policymakers grappling with issues ranging from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to trade, health technology, and geopolitics.
Kratsios will join CTA President Kinsey Fabrizio for a fireside chat titled America’s AI Future on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at the newly launched CES Foundry. The discussion is expected to focus on national AI strategy, innovation policy, and the role of public-private collaboration.
Sen. Rosen will appear alongside other sitting U.S. senators during a policy session on Friday, Jan. 9, while HHS Deputy Secretary O’Neill will outline administration priorities for digital health innovation during a Jan. 6 session focused on technology-driven healthcare transformation.
On the global stage, State Department Under Secretary Jacob Helberg will address how technology, national security, and diplomacy intersect amid intensifying competition over AI, semiconductors, and China policy. Energy innovation will also feature prominently, with Dr. Darío Gil discussing the Department of Energy’s research agenda and emerging technologies.
Commerce Department official William Kimmitt is slated to speak on international trade policy and U.S. global leadership. At the same time, regulatory perspectives will be highlighted through fireside chats with FCC Chair Carr and FTC Chair Ferguson as part of CTA’s ongoing “Conversation with a Commissioner” series beginning Jan. 8.
“CES is where the world comes to do business and define the future of technology,” Fabrizio said. “With policymakers from around the globe joining us in Las Vegas, the conversations at CES will set the innovation agenda for the year ahead.”
Additional U.S. federal officials participating in CES 2026 policy programming include FCC Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator Jonathan Morrison; ARPA-E Director Conner Prochaska; NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth; and FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health Director Dr. Michelle Tarver.
CTA said these speakers will join more than 175 international, federal, state, and local officials participating in the Leaders in Technology Program and the Innovation Policy Summit, which convene policymakers and industry leaders to debate pressing issues such as AI governance, autonomous vehicles, competition policy, cybersecurity, energy, quantum technologies, and global trade.
CES 2026 is also expected to draw significant international policy participation, with government leaders from roughly 150 countries, regions, and territories. Among those slated to attend are European Union Ambassador to the U.S. Jovita Neliupšienė, Ontario Minister of Economic Development Victor Fedeli, and digital policy representatives from Singapore, Ireland, and South Korea.
CES 2026 runs January 6–9 in Las Vegas. The full schedule remains subject to change, according to CTA.