Consumer behavior is undergoing its most dramatic transformation since the advent of mass media. As artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded in daily life, we're witnessing the emergence of entirely new patterns of how people discover, evaluate, and purchase products and services. The changes we're seeing in 2026 represent not just technological advancement, but a fundamental evolution in human decision-making and brand relationships.

At CES 2026, one of the clearest signals across consumer AI was the emergence of unified life systems—platforms that treat health, finances, and behavior as interconnected variables rather than isolated domains.

The video excerpt tied to this article was captured during my Top 10 Consumer AI Trends of 2026 presentation in New York, where I argued that the next consumer operating system will not live on a phone screen. It will live across the body, the calendar, and the balance sheet.