CES stays the most important week of the yr in tech. Each January, the present connects the world’s greatest tech corporations, the following technology of startups chasing disruptive concepts, tech reporters and influencers, large field retailers in search of merchandise to fill their cabinets, and tens of 1000’s of tech lovers attempting to get a glimpse of what is subsequent.
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Whereas it will not attain the heyday of a decade in the past, this yr’s present may have exhibitors, the worldwide press, and attendee numbers that look much more just like the pre-pandemic tech business. There may even be a lot of features of the present that shall be live-streamed to a world viewers — a welcome remnant from the pandemic-dominated exhibits of the previous two years.
This yr’s 2023 model will look much more just like the flashy CES you’ve got seen in numerous information reviews and web movies over the previous couple many years.
Nonetheless, there shall be 4 large questions that loom massive. Control these themes as reviews roll on this week.
1. Will the large tech corporations give us greater than gimmicks?
At CES, large tech corporations are infamous for displaying off ideas nobody will ever purchase akin to 100-inch TVs, roll-up shows, foolish robots, and single-rider helicopters parading as flying automobiles. Whereas stingy shoppers hit onerous by inflation may definitely use some leisure, it might be a welcome growth at this yr’s CES if the large tech corporations did not depend on their outdated parlor tips however put the highlight on helpful improvements with extra substance.
2. Can anybody persuade us to care in regards to the metaverse?
Proper now, the metaverse is quite a bit like a misplaced pet wandering round and smelling all the pieces. There are certain to be quite a lot of corporations — from {hardware} makers to NFT peddlers — angling for a spot within the metaverse ecosystem, simply in case it does pan out.
We have got our eye on Thursday, January 5 for HTC Vive’s subsequent large unveil. Will HTC’s new headset make the metaverse extra interesting? We’ll see. Apple’s long-expected headset looms massive over 2023, in fact, however Apple will not be on the present and nobody is aware of how lengthy we’ll have to attend to see what they’ve put collectively.
The following model of the HTC Vive headset is predicted at CES 2023. HTC
3. Will AI begin to automate helpful issues?
AI burst into the patron consciousness in 2022 with Lensa, Dall-E, ChatGPT and different instruments. It wowed us with its capabilities to supply human-like work and it raised troubling moral questions on mental property and honest attribution.
These moral considerations will solely deepen in 2023. However AI’s larger wins are more likely to come from the way in which smarter AI and machine studying are going to attach the dots behind the scenes to automate work and make life easier. That is the place quite a lot of most impactful alternatives await and we’ve to hope this yr’s CES will floor some thrilling tasks and startups that may make people smarter and extra environment friendly.
Additionally: CES 2023 tech I’m watching: Metaverse, ER of the future, food tech, NFTs
4. Will one of the best stuff come from sudden locations?
Over 3,000 corporations shall be exhibiting at CES 2023 and a 3rd of them are coming to the present for the primary time. Whereas the large TV distributors, PC corporations, and automakers will hog a lot of the highlight, it is lots of the smaller startups and entrepreneurs who may have essentially the most disruptive tech on the present. In years previous, I’ve seen tiny startups with tech years forward of the large corporations – together with stuff that later confirmed up as options in mainstream merchandise.
The underside line is that essentially the most modern stuff at CES 2023 will seemingly come from corporations you’ve got by no means heard of. ZDNET is on a mission to seek out them. So keep tuned.
You may watch our quick video summing the 4 large themes of CES 2023 as a YouTube Short (embedded under), Instagram Reel, or on TikTok.
