OpenAI boss Sam Altman will not appear at the CES trade show in Las Vegas next week. But the generative artificial-intelligence fever sparked by his startup last year will be on full display as gadget makers race to find consumer uses for the technology.
Devices for the visually impaired, and security systems tied to guns in schools, facial-recognition software that can assess vital aspects of life, and cabin-monitoring systems inside autonomous cars, among dozens of companies making announcements for the show. They have planned how they are building AI into their gadgets.
CES 2024, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, will run from January 9-12.
OpenAI’s influence on the show, despite Altman’s physical absence, was reminiscent of Apple and its founder Steve Jobs, whose clout was felt despite his absence from the show, leading many companies to showcase gadgets compatible with the company’s flashy products. She was running.
Altman is widely regarded as the poster child of the AI craze that has swept the tech industry over the past year. He made headlines in November when he was briefly ousted by the ChatGate maker’s board, and reinstated a few days later after more than 700 employees threatened to join OpenAI investor Microsoft in solidarity.
According to media reports, among other projects, OpenAI is working on a secret AI hardware project with famous former Apple designer Jony Ive.
Funding for generic AI projects exploded last year, increasing more than fivefold to $23.78 billion through 2022 through early December, according to PitchBook data.
“This is the year of AI in everything,” said Maribel Lopez, technology analyst at Lopez Research. “If your product doesn’t have AI, don’t pretend, it’s not worth talking about.”
Germany’s Bosch is expected to demonstrate a nearly-invisible gun-detection system that will combine video and audio AI for proactive safety around firearms in schools. Japan’s NEC will unveil AI software that enables mobile devices to analyze facial patterns and pupil state to predict human life and mental state.
Many companies are expected to showcase how the use of AI in vehicles is making them easier and safer for drivers through better in-vehicle virtual assistants and cabin monitors.
Akash Arora, managing director of Boston Consulting Group, said the new focus area for auto makers using AI after years of investment in autonomous technology is technology that allows for a “hyper personalized” experience when buying and driving a car. .
“They’re trying to figure out, ‘If I can get to this level of customer experience, it can really differentiate me in the market,'” he said of companies in the auto industry.
For example, Cerence, which makes AI-powered virtual assistants, is set to announce a partnership with Volkswagen, and Israel-based Sepia is expected to unveil a system that senses signs of distraction and drowsiness in drivers. Keeps an eye. Amazon.com said it would announce a generic AI partnership with BMW, but declined to provide details before the show.
Many automakers are adopting AI at various stages of production to reduce costs, said Wendy Bauer, vice president of automotive and manufacturing at Amazon Web Services, which counts BMW and Toyota as customers. He said AI can help carmakers save money by accelerating vehicle development and ensuring better quality checks during manufacturing.
PC and smartphone makers are also likely to show how their products use AI, with chipmakers including Intel and AMD betting it will offer a new revenue stream. Microsoft said Thursday that PCs with new AI buttons on Windows keyboards will be on display at the show.
But it’s unclear whether consumers will pay extra for AI capabilities on their computers because these developments perform less obvious tasks than OpenAI’s ChatGPT bot.
“Consumers love ChatGPT, but the consumer benefit of having it on the device is not clear,” said Jay Goldberg, chief executive of D2D Advisory. “That’s why everyone is going to be talking about it – because everyone is struggling for consumer utility.”
