When I asked Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing what he would say to AI skeptics at CES 2026, where AI was a constant topic of conversation, he summed it up simply: “No one can avoid it.”
Last night, at a live event at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Lenovo leaders announced a personal AI assistant called Qira designed to work on all Lenovo and Motorola devices, as well as a new line of future AI laptops and devices. Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence was the dominant theme at CES 2026, with companies like Lenovo and Samsung envisioning a future where AI is integrated into every aspect of our lives, from sunrise to sunset.
AI wearables, like the Project Maxwell AI wearable concept Lenovo announced at CES, will see and hear everything you see and hear to better serve you. At that time, AI will be integrated into all devices. CES brought us AI smartphones, AI laptops, AI TVs, AI washing machines – AI, in fact, everything.
The morning after Lenovo Tech’s global event at The Sphere, I had the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with Yang and Lenovo’s Chief Technology Officer, Tolga Kurtoglu. So, I asked them what they would say to AI skeptics.
What about consumers who don’t want AI to see and hear everything they do? Who wouldn’t want an AI washing machine or refrigerator?
“I strongly believe that AI will become the norm,” Yang said. “No one can avoid it. But AI will not replace you; it will only empower you, empower each of us, that’s why we think that usage will help you to do more, to create more. So that will be a trend that you cannot avoid.”
Kurtoglu also had a blunt answer: “I don’t see a world without AI.”
Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing and Chief Technology Officer Tolga Kurtoglu speak to the media at CES 2026.
Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable
However, Kurtoglu also emphasized the importance of responsible AI development in Lenovo’s approach.
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“One of the key principles by which we develop AI is our belief in responsible AI. Yes, there are strict guidelines and procedures that we follow as a company as we develop our own AI. And then globally and locally, there are regulations and compliance requirements around privacy and security and other things that we strictly follow,” Kurtoglu said.
Check out the full list of Best of CES 2026 winners, as selected by CNET Group, here.
Likewise, Lenovo emphasized the immersive nature of Qira and its AI tools repeatedly during its keynote at The Sphere, and Kurtoglu echoed this sentiment on Mashable. “If you want to participate and get value-add[ed] that the AI brings to you, you opt in, and give your consent, then you get what the AI allows you to do. Otherwise, if you don’t want to participate, of course, it’s all up to you. We will continue to follow our strong belief in responsible AI development. “
However, since AI is integrated into almost all types of hardware, opting out is not so easy. Lenovo itself says that AI PCs will account for 70 percent of the global market by 2028. Laptops and smartphones are following the same trend, although not all consumers share the same enthusiasm for AI as industry leaders. In a recent study, CNET found that only 11 percent of smartphone users upgrade their devices because they want to take advantage of new AI tools. (Disclosure: CNET and Mashable are both owned by Ziff Davis.)
During a media Q&A, Yang also addressed concerns that we are approaching an AI bubble, downplaying these concerns.
“We believe AI is not a bubble,” Yang said. “The demand will grow, so everyone will have their own AI, and every business will have to use their data to generate intelligence. So, the demand is starting. It’s not a bubble at all.”
Go to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest tech game, where Mashable reporters report live.
