CES: artificial intelligence is the protagonist of the fair – 01/08/2024 – Tech

The most important annual technology convention, CES, will open its doors this Tuesday (8) in Las Vegas (USA) with the seal of inevitable artificial intelligence (AI), which hopes to convert online devices into even more sophisticated products, “intelligent” and even “human”.

This year, the challenge at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is “how AI will be integrated” into existing technologies, said Adam Burden, global director of innovation at Accenture. “AI is not used to create superhumans. It will make humans better”, said the expert.

For the 2024 edition of CES, thanks to AI, robots will have the ability to interact, autonomous vehicles will be more intuitive and mirrors will be increasingly perceptive.

More than 3,500 exhibitors and around 130,000 participants will be in the American casino metropolis from January 9th to 12th.

This year, the public will be back after three years, in which CES suffered from the pandemic like all major conferences.

“The Chinese are coming back”, assured the president of the CTA (Consumer Technology Association), Gary Shapiro, the organizing entity of CES. Although 500 exhibitors come from China, these are only half of those who came before Covid-19.

Giants like Amazon, Google, Intel, Samsung, Sony and TikTok will have their own delegations, but CES is above all an opportunity for emerging companies to shine, highlighted Carolina Milanesi, from Creative Strategies.

“Many observers thought that many companies would not return after the health crisis, but small companies that do not have the clout to organize their own events participate in CES and generate traffic”, detailed the analyst.

“AI washing”

For Milanesi, the show of the show will be AI. But he warns about “AI washing”, referring to companies that will try to show this technology in their products without making them more efficient.

But how to differentiate real innovations from mere marketing formulas? Burden says that “companies that talk about progressively adding these capabilities” are more trustworthy than those promising sudden “avalanches” of AI.

“There will be AI-based personal assistants integrated into vehicles, into robotics. They will be able to detect what happens around you, including emotions, and adapt their response to this data (…) They will be able to give advice and also carry out tasks for you”, such as make a reservation at a restaurant, Burden predicts.

“Extension of the Human”

In particular, AI is taken into account to improve road safety. This is due to the fact that this technology is considered in certain cases “as an extension of the human body and spirit”, said Burden. “It will be able to detect the driver’s alertness based on their facial expression, their gaze, that kind of thing.”

“Vehicles have become software platforms on wheels, or electronics platforms mounted on wheels”, analyzed independent expert Avi Greengart. “There will be a lot of announcements in this regard.”

In fact, a huge section of CES will be dedicated to personal, industrial and agricultural vehicles seeking autonomy, to connected motorcycles and boats, and to the software that has become essential in all transportation.

Health and beauty will also occupy a prominent place: the inaugural conference on Tuesday will be hosted by Nicolas Hieronimus, general director of L’Oréal.