It’s been more than couple of weeks since CES 2026 in Las Vegas, and one message is still loud and clear: AI isn’t just getting smarter – it’s getting more agentic, more hybrid, and more real-world.
I was on the show floor with our partners 360 Direct Access at Eureka Park (Booth 61244), and I’m proud to share a big win: 360 Direct Access (powered by Bakstage.AI) won the CTA Foundation’s Eureka Park Accessibility Contest. 🏆
This partnership has grown a ton over the last year, and it’s getting even more exciting – because accessibility isn’t a “nice-to-have”… it’s rapidly becoming a core CX advantage. Ready to lead in accessibility for 2026? Let’s talk.
I also attended the Brand Innovators Marketing Leadership Summit @ CES, where I heard directly from CMOs and business leaders about where marketing and customer engagement is headed next. A few voices that stood out:
- Milo Speranzo, CMO, Lenovo
- Eric Schwartz, CMO, Clorox
- Allison Stransky, CMO and VP of Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics America
- Jim Squires, EVP, Marketing and Growth, Reddit
- Barbara Shippley, SVP, Brand Integration, AARP
- Brad Hiranaga, SVP, Global Experience Design, Marriott International
- Laura Morris, Head of North America Marketing and VP, HP
- Matthew Duncan, Head of AI, Microsoft
What I heard from leaders at CES
A few themes kept repeating across keynotes and exec conversations:
- Agentic AI is the next wave. LLMs keep improving, but agents are what turn intelligence into outcomes.
- “Hybrid AI” is here – orchestrating models + agents across devices to create more personalized experiences.
- AI is going physical. Robots, home assistants, autonomous devices – the interface is expanding beyond screens.
- Trust is the new currency. With AI-generated content everywhere, audiences are more skeptical than ever. The brands that win will be the ones that build credibility through real, human-centered experiences.
What I saw on the floor (CES is wild 😄)
- An absurd number of lawn mowers
- Too many massage chairs (truly… too many. I had the pleasure of trying a few 😄)
- LG’s home robot vision (“Zero Labor Home”) – a glimpse of AI doing everyday chores
- Robots that climb stairs, vacuum stairs, and basically bully gravity
- Startups everywhere – including a strong showing from AgeTech (AARP), where I think Voice AI + Live Video will be a massive unlock (something we may explore)
Why this is great news for Bakstage.AI (and for teams that care about revenue)
Here’s the punchline: AI is shifting from “content” to “action.” And the most valuable action in business is simple:
👉🏼 Turn traffic + leads into real conversations that close.
That’s exactly what we built Bakstage.AI to do.
Bakstage.AI is the Agentic Voice AI + Human Collaboration platform that helps brands:
- engage inbound visitors instantly (voice + chat)
- qualify intent with natural conversations
- book meetings automatically (scheduling)
- escalate to 1:1 live video at the perfect moment
- automate follow-ups that don’t feel robotic
- personalize experiences based on real-time intent signals
- generate conversation intelligence (what’s working, what’s breaking, what’s converting)
In a world where customers are jaded, skeptical, and overwhelmed – the advantage isn’t “more automation.”
👉🏼 It’s more trust + more human-quality moments, delivered at scale.
Our forward-looking bet for 2026
The next era of customer engagement will be won by companies that:
- treat AI as a teammate, not a chatbot
- design journeys around human outcomes (trust, clarity, confidence)
- use agents to orchestrate workflows – and humans to deliver the moments that matter
- build conversion experiences, not just marketing funnels
If you’re building for growth this year, I’d love to connect.
Reply to this email with “CONVERSION” and I’ll send you 3 concrete ideas you can apply to your website/customer journey to turn more traffic into booked meetings and revenue (no fluff – straight execution).
Feel free to schedule a time with me here and I can give you an update on CES and Bakstage.AI: 👉 https://calendly.com/shashank-bakstage/