CES, hosted annually by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), was recently hosted in Las Vegas from January 5-8 2023 and showcased over 3200 exhibitors including Amazon, Google, LG, Microsoft, and Sony in 41 different technology categories. According to CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro, “Tech advances are helping to solve the world’s greatest challenges, and CES 2023 will set the agenda for the year ahead.” Since its first Consumer Electronic Show in 1967, CES has grown by more than 10x and has greatly broadened the tech industries showcased. This year, a few technology trends and products really stood out.
Sustainability
Sustainability was an omnipresent topic at this year’s CES, unsurprising given that the CTA partnered with the UN-affiliated World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) this year to promote awareness of the UN’s Human Security for All Initiative. CES sought to highlight the important role of technology in support of the UN’s efforts to advance basic human rights, including the right to a safe and clean environment. Sustainability-related products included bioengineered house plants from NeoPlants that remove 30x indoor air pollution compared to standard house plants and Pivet’s biodegradable phone cases. The US Energy Department even hosted their own booth at CES to highlight the advances in clean technology and the importance of continued development. CTA also recognized honorees with Innovation Awards specifically for sustainability efforts.
Smart cars
In recent years, CES has become increasingly car-centric, and that trend continued at this year’s event. One major announcement was the launch of Afeela, a joint EV brand developed between Honda and Sony. The car will include safety and driver assistance features from Honda as well as entertainment and interactive features from Sony. The two companies are also working with Epic Games to utilize their Unreal Engine graphics technology to design user interfaces. The Afeela is meant to recognize user moods and adapt to their needs, or as Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno explains, “Afeela represents our concept of an interactive relationship where people feel the sensation of interactive mobility and where mobility can detect and understand people and society by utilizing sensing and AI technologies.”
Matter
Matter is a universal smart home protocol, jointly developed by Amazon, Google, Apple, Samsung, and other smart home brands through the Connectivity Standards Alliance. Its open-source interoperability platform allows smart home devices from any manufacturer to speak to one another directly without the cloud. Matter has been described as the missing link to the smart home revolution, and the key to mass adoption of these technologies. CES featured many Matter-related products, from smart light bulbs to smoke alarms to door locks. The benefits of matter include lower latency and higher reliability compared to connections over the cloud, as well as a consistent user experience across all Matter-enabled devices.