CES 2024 Trend Recap: AI Everywhere, EV Growing Pains, and Disappearing Tech

Here are the top five trends that we spotted from the Vegas show floorsAI EverywhereAs expected AI of all varieties but especially generative AI dominated the CES show floors this year While most companies outside of quotEureka Parkquot the section of CES dedicated to global startups showed some restraint from gratuitously brandish quotgenerative AIquot on their signage almost everyone that you talk to will tell you that AI is a top priority for themFrom smart TVs to car dashboards to electric bikes to even toilets generative AI is being integrated into a wide range of products on display with varying degrees of usefulness Most of them are powered by either OpenAI39s ChatGPT model or other opensourced AI models although Google did heavily advertise quotGoogle AI on Android devicesquot around the CES venues including a takeover of the Sphere when the show opened on Tuesday Although OpenAI was not at CES officially its presence was deeply felt on the show floors The company39s mind share at CES was further boosted by the launch of its muchanticipated GPT Stores which enables ChatGPT subscribers to share and find custom chatbots made by thirdparty developers So far over 3 million custom chatbots have been created peramp160BloombergIf there39s an AI breakout product at this CES it would be the R1 pocket AI companion made by a startup called Rabbit which sold out 10000 presale units in one day following its buzzy CES debut In essence R1 is a smartphonelite device with a voice interface powered by generative AI Rabbit developed a Large Action Model LAM capable of learning how to interface with any app or web service so that it could say order a pizza or plan a whole trip on your behalf All users have to do is to tell R1 about what they need to get done and then confirm the solutions that LAM comes up with While doubts abound over the viability of the device39s realworld use cases and Rabbit39s business model it nevertheless signals an exciting new era of AIfirst hardware devices that could one day replace smartphones as our primary deviceMobility Growing PainsIn recent years CES has been dubbed a quotcar showquot thanks to the growing amount of major automakers and mobility startups coming to Vegas This year however the mobility sector was notably subdued with major auto brands such as GM and Ford canceling their CES attendance in the fall due to the ongoing UAW strike With the development of autonomous vehicles hitting a wall and the growth of EV sales slowing down last year there seems to be a consensus among mobility innovators that the sector is experiencing some growing pains after a decade of rapid advancement as reflected at CES this yearStill in the absence of the major US car manufacturers global car brands continued to showcase their latest electric models and incar dashboard innovations Korean automaker Hyundai dominated the show floor with four sprawling booths each showcasing a different aspect of its mobility solutions One highlight was its Mobis EV concept car that has wheels that can rotate 360 degrees enabling the car to move sideways like a crab Finally parallel parking may soon become a crabcakewalkAs previously mentioned AI is driving the next phase of the dashboard For example Volkswagen began integrating ChatGPT into its production vehicles making it a standard feature in the majority of its passenger vehicles which they are looking to make all electric over the next decade Amazon also had a sizeable booth showcasing their autorelated AI initiatives including developing a voice assistant powered by Amazon39s own large language model for BMW carsDisappearing Tech at HomeBlame it on the screen fatigue or our insatiable drive for the perfect home decor but tech gadgets that can disappear into the background are having a moment at CES Whether it39s the aweinspiring transparent TVs from Samsung and LG that become seethrough glass panels when not in use or the cute Samsung Music Frame speaker that is designed to look like a picture frame or a digital project that hides into a ceiling light it is evident that people want their smart home devices to blend in and stay outofsight unless neededSometimes this disappearing act is also done for more than just aesthetic reasons Nobi a startup that focuses on fall detection tech showcased a smart lamp with motion sensors builtin so that it could relieve seniors from the burden of having to wear a wristband at all times for fall prevention Designs like this prove that smart home devices can deliver a frictionless user experience without necessarily drawing attention to themselvesClimate Anxiety TechThe sustainability tech section has been expanding at CES in recent years and that is no exception this year Plenty of ecofriendly companies and startups showed off their latest solutions in recycling clean energy and ecofriendly materials Ottorbox debuted new fauxleather phone cases made from cactus while Reencle upgraded its athome decomposing binWhat39s new this year is a palpable sense of anxiety around the worsening impact of climate change reflected in many of the sustainability tech solutions on the show floor For example many solar battery solutions while ostensibly developed for EV charging at home can also serve as an alternative power source when disaster strikes Perhaps the most telling product in this regard is the Yeelight Pro P20 Rooflight a very realisticlooking ceiling panel that mimics the effect of a skylight It ensures that the sky always looks blue from inside your home no matter how apocalyptically orange the sky outside has become Turns out technology can help us preserve a sense of normalcy in the face of mounting chaos after allApple Upstages CES AgainAs always Apple doesn39t have an official presence at CES this year Yet it still manages to stay top of mind for many CES attendees thanks to a strategically timed announcement on Tuesday of the release date of its muchanticipated Vision Pro spatial computing headset At CES Apple39s halo effect is always quite evident For instance Chinese mixedreality startup Xreal revealed a new pair of AR glasses that will retail for 699 and ship in March attempting to offer a lowerend alternative to Apple39s 3500 device Sony also teased a new quotspatial content creationquot system designed to let users edit and shape 3D modelsAt the end of the day CES is best thought of as the RampampD center for the entire tech world Everybody is here even if they39re not showing products or doing keynotes to see what the latest breakthroughs are And a lot of the things that we39re seeing on the show floor might end up being incorporated into products from big tech companies down the road and trickle down to everyday consumers Once again CES showed us the relentless pace of innovation and how everyone from tech companies to brands is doing their best to keep upThis article was written by Richard Yao Associate Director Strategy IPG Media Lab UM39s innovation unitClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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CES 2024 Trend Recap: AI Everywhere, EV Growing Pains, and Disappearing Tech

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