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The appointment is from 9 to 12 January, for four days of meetings, keynotes and events (to which are added those immediately before) useful to understand whether the 2024 edition Consumer Electronic Show will confirm the “title” which is already bouncing everywhere : AI will be everywhere. Everything suggests that this is the case, that machine learning algorithms and generative tools based on large-format linguistic models will “switch on” all types of connected devices with which we usually operate and interact, from PCs to household appliances, passing through the infinite series of gadgets (wearable or not) that are already filling the homes and days of millions of people. No big announcements are expected in Las Vegas but rather a long list of products that will have AI as the most important attribute to improve the functionality, versatility and user experience of the tech object, to make it easier to use . Below are the first previews already made official and some trends that will catalyze the technological event in Las Vegas.
The intelligence of new portable PCs
Ryzen and Meteor Lake: the names chosen by AMD and Intel for their respective families of processors will probably remain in the history of the tech industry because they mark, in fact, the large-scale advent of chipsets equipped with integrated neural processing capabilities. Ces 2024 should be the ideal showcase to closely admire the first examples of motorized notebooks with the new NPU (Neural Processing Unit) from the Santa Clara company and in this case the vendors ready to battle on the AI PC front are Lenovo, Asus and Acer, HP, Dell, LG (with the Gram Pro series), MSI, and more. Are we facing a new era of personal computing? There are many who support it, also considering the fact that in a few months the new version of Windows will also see the light of day (whether it will be called 12 or something else is still unclear) and with it an operating system strongly based on the verb of artificial intelligence.
Home appliances ready to embrace “real” AI?
We have been aware of refrigerators capable of suggesting recipes based on the food stored inside (Samsung’s Bespoke line, for example) which fully meets these requirements. And the same applies to other household appliances (ovens, washing machines, dryers and even irons) which use artificial intelligence to monitor a series of parameters in real time and adjust accordingly, gradually memorizing the user’s habits to increase the level of customization. But is it real AI or an intelligent application of sensors and algorithms? According to some experts, this edition of Ces will not be the turning point in terms of generation of large household appliances. Perhaps something will be seen from the brands specialized in the small appliance segment (names like June, Brava and Anova or Seer Grills) and in the robot vacuum cleaner segment, where the game of AI-driven innovation is played by brands known to fans of technology applied to the home such as Ecovacs and Roomba.
Super batteries and robots do everything to better manage the smart home
When we talk about a smart home, our thoughts immediately (and rightly) go to the set of solutions and devices that allow us to reduce energy consumption. A trend that could have great relevance at the Las Vegas exhibition is that of batteries and solar cells for the smart home, and in this case systems (such as those proposed by companies such as Anker, Schneider Electric and Bluetti) capable of powering the electrical system completely independently of the local network. In this world populated by charging stations there are also giants such as Samsung, which recently expanded its proprietary SmartThings platform with the first battery charger specifically designed for electric vehicles, and startups such as the Californian Coplanar, which develops and produces portable hydrogen generators intended for the residential market. Will CES 2024 open the doors to these technologies? It will certainly bring to the showcase other objects that aim to make life at home increasingly smarter: this is the case of the new home assistant from LG Electronics, a small and futuristic robot powered by AI that can move autonomously between the various rooms, understand the context and actively interact with humans (even in the case of complex conversations) by combining voice and facial recognition with advanced natural language processing and self-learning capabilities. Equipped with the Qualcomm Robotics RB5 platform, the assistant also works both as a “mobile” hub for the smart home, controlling household appliances and IoT devices connected to the home network, and as a security camera, sending notifications if unusual activity is detected (for example the lights on in the absence of the owners).
Quantum technology for TVs
Over the years, the charm of ultra-flat, ultra-high definition mega screens has probably waned a little but televisions still remain one of the attractions of Ces. The vendors’ promise follows a common denominator: adding innovation to the ways of interacting with displays and improving the viewing experience by exploiting artificial intelligence. From Samsung to Hisense, the main brands in the world of home entertainment are expected in Las Vegas with the latest innovations to be included in the catalog and among these the proposals from Lg Electronics stand out. The Korean company has already announced the new range of Qned technology devices, equipped with Quantum Dot panels with diagonals from 43 to 98 inches. Their peculiarity? The AI Alpha 8 processor, which improves algorithm performance by 1.3 times and image processing speed by 1.6 times compared to the previous version. Also signed by the Korean company, and more precisely by LG Labs, it is one of the candidates for the most original product title of Ces 2024: the DukeBox is an innovative audio system that combines tube sound reproduction with the technology of transparent Oled panels and presents itself with the charm of being a reinvented and modern concept of the old jukebox.