The entertainment track at CES centers AI, creators and the future of storytelling

Entertainment leaders and creators discussed how artificial intelligence is changing storytelling, advertising and internet-native content at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, an event that also includes consumer tech demonstrations. Organizers scheduled more than 25 entertainment-industry panels and events in a programming track that spans both traditional studio business and the digital side driven by content creators.

The CES entertainment sessions raised questions about the cinematic capabilities of AI, how AI is affecting advertising, and how the growing creator economy fits into the broader entertainment landscape. The programming built on an ongoing debate in Hollywood over whether AI-powered tools help creative work or threaten it.

Creatives’ concerns and optimism on display

Speakers acknowledged that some creatives have been reluctant to embrace AI tools as they have evolved quickly. The reporting at the show referenced backlash after an AI-made character, Tilly Norwood, debuted as the first “AI actor” in the fall, and speakers said questions about copyrighted characters, images and materials remain part of conversations about AI.

At the same time, multiple speakers at CES programming described ways AI could be beneficial. Dwayne Koh, head of creative at Leonardo.ai, said during a Monday session on AI and creativity that “The tools that we create have unlocked something in us.” He added that his work “It’s kind of flattened that bar in terms of what storytelling can be because anyone now can be a storyteller,” and said the effect “levels the playing field,” while making it easier for people to tell stories they “always want(ed) to tell.”

“Not new”: Adobe ties AI fears to the Photoshop era

Hannah Elsakr, Adobe’s vice president of generative AI new business ventures, argued that Hollywood’s reaction to emerging technology is not unprecedented. In a Monday advertising-focused session, Elsakr said that when Adobe launched Photoshop in the ’90s, it received “pretty angry phone calls from creatives saying that we were destroying craft.”

Elsakr said the industry is still “early days with AI,” and said she is “not advocating for more cats jumping off diving boards in your feeds.” She framed AI as supporting “high creativity,” with “the director, the artist, the actor” expected to drive quality, and told attendees to “Think of AI as another tool in the tool kit to make you drive that forward.”

Media companies urged to work with creators

Conversations also turned to influencers and internet-native creators moving more visibly into traditional entertainment. Brad Haugen, executive vice president of digital strategy and growth at Lionsgate and 3 Arts, said traditional media companies should welcome opportunities to work with creators and embrace their importance.

Haugen said there could be “the next great filmmaker” and “the next great TV showrunner,” as well as “the next great digital entrepreneur.” He added that “Creators are not just there to market products,” and said they are “actually the next Spike Jonze and the next Sofia Coppola.”

Wednesday panels include Netflix, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery

More entertainment-related programming was scheduled for Wednesday, with many sessions coming out of Variety’s Entertainment Summit at the showcase. Those events were described as including panels with leaders from Netflix, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, along with actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Gordon-Levitt, who has been outspoken about AI concerns and recently announced a Creators Coalition on AI, discussed training-data practices in a moderated Wednesday conversation. He focused on how AI training data can use movies, books and other creative works without consent from or compensation to copyright holders.

During the moderated conversation, Gordon-Levitt said, “No let’s not forgive that passive theft,” arguing that people should be paid for their work and that “eventually we are going to arrive at the conclusion” that supports compensation and recourse for past uses. He said that “whether it takes a year or five years or more,” people would “get recourse for all the stuff that was stolen.”

Gordon-Levitt also said he is co-writing an upcoming Netflix thriller about AI that he is directing. Joking about how he got started with writing, he said he “just popped a prompt into a chatbot,” and described himself as hopeful that the industry will respond constructively.

He said, “I’m actually really optimistic and excited about the technology,” but warned that “the business incentives driving some of the biggest AI companies” could lead to “a pretty dark path.” He added that “If we talk about it and we understand it, I don’t think we have to go down that dark path,” and said there is still time “to go down something much brighter.”

Product showcases bring AI features to entertainment consumers

Beyond panels, CES featured entertainment-related devices and services. Innovations on display included advanced televisions, AI-powered smart headphones, a “stringless smart guitar” and a “sound chair” with built-in audio.

Separately, Amazon announced the rollout of Alexa.com at the showcase, bringing its AI assistant to the web with new features including personalized movie and TV recommendations. The company also described capabilities aimed at at-home viewing, including a feature that enables Alexa to jump to a specific scene based on a simple description.