6th January 2023

POV: CES 2023

Background:

After a hiatus in 2021, and a hybrid event in 2022, CES 2023 was back and live in person, with an estimated 100,000+ attendees and over 2,400 exhibitors.

CES 2023 attendees were exposed to new innovative products and tech that can help make consumers’ lives easier.  Technology themes that were front and centre at CES 2023, were Artificial Intelligence (AI), Screens, Electric Vehicles (EVs), and Sustainability.

Details and Implications:

Artificial intelligence: Prior to CES, many people were exposed to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. ChatGPT can answer questions, write stories, and carry out digital tasks, within reason, in seconds. It is a technology that can impact many aspects of consumers lives. 

Although OpenAI was not present at CES, artificial intelligence is working its way into household products. Samsung has a line of smart home appliances called AI Bespoke that use artificial intelligence. The company showcased an oven with a camera and sensors that can recognize over 80 dishes and adjust cooking settings and send a notification if it thinks food might be burning. It can also suggest meals to make based on ingredients you have at home.

Intelligent screens: It would not be CES if TVs were not front and centre, and this year LG showcased “Zero Connect”, a TV that has no ports and you can mount it flush on your wall with no wires. Samsung is also launching TVs leveraging artificial intelligence to improve the contrast in colours on a scene-by-scene basis. This process makes the viewer’s experience much more visually consistent.  As screens, technology, and processing consistently improve, so will the time spent in front of them.

Electric vehicles: Electric continues to be the focus for many auto brands. As more consumers adopt EVs, charging infrastructure is critical. Mercedes announced plans to launch a global high-power Mercedes-Benz-branded charging network in North America this year.

We also saw new ventures. Honda Motor Co. and Sony unveiled a prototype of their planned electric vehicle brand called Afeela, which they are looking to put into mass production in 2025. Volkswagen unveiled its ID.7 electric sedan that includes a paint job that you can change the colour of by scanning a QR code. 

Enterprise push toward sustainability: John Deere CEO shared his firm’s farming equipment that uses multiple technologies, including sensors to provide precise information, machine learning for data analytics and cloud computing to help farmers “execute their jobs more efficiently and sustainably.”

Summary:

This year’s CES felt as if it was back to normal. The showroom floors had the energy and excitement of past CES experiences. In the past, we’ve seen a focus on digital assets (NFTs) and the metaverse, but the big focus in 2023 was on products that improve consumers lives via artificial intelligence, and clean and sustainable ways of the future. 

Further Reading: 

TechCrunch | Engadget | PC Mag | Forbes | CES

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