Artificial intelligence is the star of the Las Vegas Electronics Show
The Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show, one of the most important annual gatherings for electronics giants, auto manufacturers and emerging technology companies, opens on Tuesday, with a strong presence of generative artificial intelligence technologies that add new dimensions to everyday consumer devices, according to Agence France-Presse.
“Last year, generative AI was just a glimmer at the Las Vegas show,” said Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee. But this year he will be the jewel in the crown.”
The city, located in the western United States, welcomes more than 3,500 exhibitors and about 130,000 participants who will descend on a large number of hotels and conference centers from January 9 to 12 for the 2024 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
During this event, few of the presentations and talks will not mention artificial intelligence.
Although this technology is not new, the generative artificial intelligence programs that have been commonly used since the spread of “Chat GBT” in late 2022 go beyond large-scale data processing by producing text, images, and sound through simple queries in everyday language.
“For an expo that was founded in 1967 and was a founding event for the 1990s tech boom, the hype and excitement dovetails well with this period of looming disruption with the AI revolution,” commented analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. .
During first presentations to journalists on Monday, the giant South Korean electronics company LG presented, for example, a new small robot on wheels, capable of interacting with the entire family, including adults and children, and with pets.
Thanks to artificial intelligence, the robot will be able to “move, learn, understand, and participate in complex conversations,” according to the company, which enhances its “vision of a home without work.”
Pivotal’s Helix aircraft during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, on January 8, 2024 (AFP)
“Smarter than ever”
Concretely, this robot is equipped with sensors, a microphone and a camera to play music selected according to the emotions it detects on the faces of people at home, remind them of appointments or medications to take, inform them of the weather or monitor their dog when they are not at home.
From health to cars, companies are competing with prototypes and advertisements for machines that serve humans, which are more sophisticated and connected than ever before.
At the Anfield Unveiled exhibition on Sunday, participants were able to test headphones capable of translating several languages at once, and very friendly robots.
“It is not a coincidence that we are starting (the exhibition) with artificial intelligence,” Brian Comiskey, a researcher at CTA, the organizer of the exhibition, said on Sunday during a conference on technological trends, adding: “Tomorrow will be smarter than ever before.” .
The expert highlighted the rapid progress in the microchip industry, which is described as the “brain” of innovation in the field of artificial intelligence, and the first change in Microsoft’s keyboard in decades, with the addition of the “Assistant Commander” key to directly access the artificial intelligence tools generated for the “Windows” system. .
He stressed, “This indicates that artificial intelligence equipment will be at the heart of discussions for years.”
An electric dirt bike during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the United States, on January 8, 2024 (AFP)
“Smartphone on wheels”
Monday was devoted primarily to advertisements related to television sets and new cars.
Thomas Howson, of Forrester, noted that the Las Vegas show will continue to present larger, connected 8K or microLED screens, advanced gadgets, more powerful computers, and prototypes of electric cars from several companies, including Honda and Hyundai.
He added: “But the exhibition has become less concerned with hardware, and more concerned with the integration of artificial intelligence and software.”
According to the CTA, American consumers spent approximately $157 billion on software in 2023, especially on video games and applications. This number is expected to rise to 163 billion this year.
“In electric cars, users want driving assistance systems and safety features, but also services like entertainment,” said CTA research director Jessica Booth. “They look at their car as a smartphone on wheels,” she added.
Volkswagen introduced its first cars equipped with “GPT Chat” technology integrated into its voice assistant, on Monday. Thus, the assistant will be able to talk to the driver and give him answers to his questions in real time.
The same expectation applies to televisions, which are no longer satisfied with their role as screens.
“They will become command centers for the home, connected to kitchen appliances, the washing machine, and surveillance cameras,” Booth explained.
