In this file photo, Brian Comiskey, senior director of innovation and trends at Consumer Technology Association, is seen speaking in a video message for the Korea Electronics Show held in Seoul on Oct. 22, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — The upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s biggest annual tech conference, will “dive deeper into” artificial intelligence (AI) and other trending technologies that will bring people-centered innovation, a senior official at the event’s organizer said.
Brian Comiskey, senior director of innovation and trends at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), said CES 2025, to be held under the theme “Dive In,” will delve into questions on productivity, sustainability and practical benefits to consumers of AI and other fast-evolving technologies.
“So ‘dive in’ really gets into this idea of building into and going deeper into some of the existing technology trends that we have seen over the last few shows,” Comiskey said Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency.
The annual event is set to be held in Las Vegas from Jan. 7-10.
“By diving in further, we can unlock new opportunities in a particular field,” Comiskey said.
“And that similar theme really applies not just to AI, but into health care, sustainability, mobility and other areas of the show. So it really speaks to this idea of just going further into tech ecosystems and further into the tools that benefit humans. At the end of the day, I’d argue this is about diving into human-centric innovation,” he added.
Global leading companies often use the annual event to unveil their latest and most advanced products, and the upcoming CES will be no different with many prominent Korean firms, including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and energy-to-telecom conglomerate SK Group, each set to operate showrooms with their state-of-the-art products powered by AI.
Comiskey noted they may offer consumers a first look at how advanced AI technology has become and also how it may be applied in their daily lives.
“I think the big one is you are going to see a wide range of exhibitors showcasing different use cases that are not just about tomorrow but about today. So we will see some companies that are focused on the hardware side,” he said.
“That’s the chip angle of it, but there’s more to it than that. There’s going to be some of the consumer applications of how does it appear on your smartphones or on your television consoles or even in your wearables,” Comiskey added, noting that’s where big names, such as Samsung and LG, come in.
Samsung Electronics is moving to set up the largest exhibition booth at CES 2025 to present its vision for AI-applied home appliance technologies, while LG will showcase its “affectionate intelligence” technology, which aims to provide differentiated customer experience through more empathetic AI, the companies said earlier.
SK Group will present its AI chip and data center technologies, with Hyundai Mobis Co., an auto parts-making affiliate of South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Group, preparing to showcase its newest holographic wind shield display and human-centric interior lighting system.
Comiskey highlighted that South Korean companies bring “different angles of innovation” to the global event, also saying a number of South Korean startups have already caught his attention, including battery firm Standard Energy, AI health care firm Nuvilab and conversational AI engine developer Persona AI, with their new and innovative products.
In an initial list released earlier by the CTA, 129 South Korean firms were named among the 292 recipients to be presented with innovation awards at CES 2025.
On future tech trends, the CTA director noted AI may continue to be the main topic in the immediate future but that the focus will eventually shift to how the technology may be applied in other areas, including digital health care, energy, robotics and mobility, to help improve people’s daily lives.
“There’s a question around how does robotics fit in and answer questions around workforce shortages,” Comiskey said of AI application in various areas to bring changes and improvements for people. “Also if you think about the medical applications, how we have been using medical robots for some time for safe surgery, and AI software would allow for more personalized surgical applications.”
“CES 2025 will be on the lookout for how technology is helping make business more efficient and helping us live longer, better lives,” he added. “It’s about building community, literally.”
(Yonhap)
