Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) used a CES 2026 keynote to position its equipment and power systems as the “invisible layer” that underpins the digital economy, outlining how it is applying connectivity, data and artificial intelligence to construction, mining and energy customers while expanding autonomous operations.
Framing Caterpillar’s role in the “physical layer”
CEO Joe Creed said Caterpillar’s presence at CES reflects a shift in how the company wants to be perceived: not only as a manufacturer of heavy equipment, but as a technology company bringing AI and autonomy into “the actual physical infrastructure that the cloud depends on.” He argued that modern technology relies on a physical foundation—minerals, roads, ports, data centers and power systems—that must be built, maintained and operated reliably.
Connected fleets, AI-driven insights, and safety
Creed highlighted several examples of how software and data are being applied across Caterpillar equipment:
- Autonomous mining trucks: Caterpillar began experimenting with autonomous mining trucks in the 1990s and operates fleets running 24/7 in remote environments.
- 3D grade control in construction: The company’s systems translate digital blueprints into GPS-guided machine instructions, targeting centimeter-level accuracy to reduce rework.
- Safety technologies: Sensors, vision systems and predictive analytics can distinguish people from backgrounds in real time and provide warnings to reduce the risk of job-site incidents.
Creed said the fleet includes more than 1.5 million connected assets generating data that can be used to improve performance over time, and he described scenarios such as software updates to alter how mining trucks navigate or predictive monitoring that detects early stress in power equipment and triggers service actions.
Helios platform and the launch of the Cat AI Assistant
Chief Digital Officer Ogi Redzic described the company’s cloud-native digital platform, Helios, as the foundation for deploying AI at scale. He said Helios aggregates data from about 1.5 million connected assets, sends and receives thousands of messages per second, triggers millions of data pipelines daily, and contains more than 16 petabytes of reusable, high-quality data. Redzic added that the platform was recently featured by the MIT Center for Information Systems Research as a case study in building digital assets at scale.
Redzic introduced the Cat AI Assistant, which he described as a group of AI agents presented as a single multimodal assistant that can be used via speech, text, images or video. In demonstrations, the assistant provided fleet summaries such as fuel efficiency and idle time, identified an underutilized machine relative to a target utilization rate, interpreted a hydraulic warning light, and offered to schedule service with a local Cat dealer.
Redzic said the assistant is intended to help customers buy, maintain, manage and operate equipment from headquarters or remote job sites. He also described roles for the tool across the workforce, including as an “extra set of eyes” for condition monitoring analysts, a manual library for technicians, and an in-cab “copilot” for operators.
In a booth demonstration featuring a Cat 306 mini excavator, a Caterpillar employee used the assistant to provide operator guidance and set a safety boundary—an “E-Ceiling”—to limit boom movement near simulated overhead power lines, with the machine slowing and preventing the bucket from exceeding the set limit.
Redzic said Caterpillar is “going live” with Cat AI Assistant this quarter, with in-cab applications in final validation and plans to roll out in the near future.
NVIDIA partnership and edge AI focus
Caterpillar also emphasized a partnership with NVIDIA, including a stage conversation between Creed and Deepu Talla, NVIDIA’s vice president of Robotics and Edge AI. Talla said heavy industry environments are safety-critical, with connectivity not guaranteed and low latency “mission-critical,” making edge AI important. He referenced NVIDIA’s robotics and edge platforms Isaac and Jetson Thor, and described an approach where models run on the machine for perception, planning, control and safety, while sensor data feeds back to improve models that are then redeployed to fleets.
Redzic said Caterpillar is using NVIDIA’s Thor platform to run capabilities such as speech recognition, AI models and control logic directly on machines, enabling the assistant to function in remote, off-grid locations without relying on a “perfect cloud connection.”
Autonomy in mining today, construction next
Chief Technology Officer Jamie Miner said Caterpillar has been working on autonomy for more than 30 years, citing early partnerships and testing that included Carnegie Mellon in the 1980s and participation in the DARPA Grand Challenge in the mid-2000s. Miner said Caterpillar delivered Level 4 autonomy more than a decade ago.
Miner described Caterpillar’s autonomous mining fleet as one of the most proven and largest globally, stating it has moved more than 11 billion tons of material and traveled more than 385 million kilometers autonomously “without a single reported injury.”
She also highlighted a collaboration with Luck Stone at the Bull Run quarry in Virginia, where Caterpillar launched a fully driverless fleet just over a year ago. Miner said the site’s 100-ton trucks have hauled more than 2 million tons, and that autonomy created safer jobs and new roles in managing fleets and optimizing operations through data-driven decisions.
Looking ahead, Miner previewed what she called the next era of construction autonomy, listing five machine categories Caterpillar plans to bring to customers: a wheel loader, dozer, haul truck, excavators and compactors. She described a “digital nervous system” for job sites combining AI, machine learning, computer vision and edge computing with sensors such as LIDAR, radar, GPS and cameras.
Miner said Caterpillar would preview a customer collaboration with WM to bring autonomy to landfill operations during an event in the West Hall at 2:00 p.m.
In closing remarks, Creed said the company is pairing technology expansion with workforce development, committing $25 million to fund training, education and partnerships intended to help people transition into new roles created by advancing technology. He said Caterpillar plans to work with customers, dealers, schools and community partners to direct the initiative where its equipment operates and where the impact is greatest.
About Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT)
Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and locomotives. The company’s product portfolio includes earthmoving machines such as excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders and off‑highway trucks, as well as a range of power generation products including generator sets and power systems for industrial and commercial use. Caterpillar serves customers across heavy construction, mining, energy, transportation and related industries with both equipment and integrated technology solutions.
In addition to manufacturing, Caterpillar provides a broad range of aftermarket parts and support services, including maintenance, repair, remanufacturing and fleet management tools.
