Duties and Artificial Intelligence, the challenges of electronics at the Las Vegas fair

Gadgets, robots and vehicles equipped with artificial intelligence will once again compete for attention Consumer Electronics Show next week, while behind the scenes sellers will try to find a way to deal with tariffs threatened by the US president-elect Donald Trump. The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) officially opens Tuesday in Las Vegas, but the days leading up to it are packed with product announcements. THE’ artificial intelligence (AI) will be one of the main themes of the show, along with autonomous vehicles ranging from tractors to boats, from lawnmowers to golf carts.

“Everyone will be talking about AI,” Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies, told AFP. “From refrigerators to ovens to everything else, everyone will be talking about AI, whether it’s there or not.” According to Rob Enderle, an independent technology industry analyst, the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang will deliver a “must-see” keynote speech on the eve of the opening of the CES trade show, to showcase the AI ​​computer chip company’s innovations. Chip industry rivals Intel, AMD and Qualcomm are expected to respond with their own innovations.

The cars of the future

CES will also be a giant car showwith automakers and component suppliers showcasing autonomous driving and automated safety capabilities. “CES has been an auto show for some time now, and if anything, even more so this year,” said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Techsponential. The Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s close relationship with Trump is expected to reduce regulatory hurdles related to autonomous vehicles. According to analyst Enderle, flying cars, while still far from being part of everyday life, will be part of the CES scene.

“You should start seeing purchasable flying vehicles,” Enderle said. “Getting approval to fly them is another matter entirely.” Robots designed to perform work tasks or be comfort companions — and even adorable pets — are among the promises at CES.

Digital and health

Gadgets to calm the mind, beautify the body or help you sleep well will also be present at the fair, as technology continues to penetrate every aspect of existence. “Digital health is going to be a huge phenomenon,” Greengart said. “We are seeing an increase in technology being worn or used to track health indicators.”

Technology enhanced by artificial intelligence will also spread into homes, from a spice dispenser that “learns” a chef’s tastes, to robot vacuum cleaners, to increasingly “intelligent” large appliances.

Concern about tariffs

The customs tariffs that Trump talks about would increase the costs of imported items and, according to analysts, this aspect will likely be the focus of CES attendees targeting the US market. Many of the products at the show have imported content, and if Trump hits Canada, China and Mexico with tariffs, it will mean a surge in prices, analyst Enderle reasoned. “There will be a lot of worried sellers at CES,” Enderle said of trepidation over tariffs, “but a lot of the talk will take place behind closed doors so as not to irritate the next administration.”

According to Greengart, low-key talks at CES will also cover how to manage supply chain constraints that could be caused by tariffs.