CES, the annual trade show of all things tech, is upon us.
The multi-day event, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, kicks off this week in Las Vegas — where swaths of the latest gadgets and advances across industries like personal tech, transportation, health care, sustainability and more are set to be on display. And, like last year, artificial intelligence is everywhere you look.
CES 2024 saw more than 138,000 attendees, according to the CTA, and organizers expect to see at least that amount again for this year’s show. Over 4,500 exhibitors, including 1,400 startups, are also anticipated across 2.5 million net square feet of floor space this week.
“These are the people getting together, focusing on solving some of the world’s biggest problems — and magic occurs.” Gary Shapiro, CEO and vice chair of the CTA, told The Associated Press ahead of this week’s show.
Formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, CES brings attendees and exhibitors from around the globe, with Shapiro noting that organizers expect some 50,000 attendees to come from outside the U.S. Beyond an array of startups, big-name companies set to make appearances this year include Nvidia, Delta Air Lines, Honda, Volvo, Panasonic and L’Oréal.
There may be some increased security this year. CES 2025 arrives less than one week after a highly decorated Army soldier fatally shot himself in a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives before it burst into flames outside of President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas — not far from much of the trade show’s planned event space. Shapiro said that organizers regularly work with officials for event safety and that “modest” changes were made in response to recent events, but couldn’t go into further detail.
Shapiro spoke about what to expect for CES 2025. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Q. CES 2025 is here. What are the main themes we can expect this week?
SHAPIRO: CES 2025 will be an exceptional leap forward in terms of innovation and technology, with a focus on a variety of themes important to the future of humanity. Over 4,000 companies will be here, on literally miles and miles of exhibit space. And they’ll be showing solutions to fundamental human problems — like access to food, clean air, clean water and mobility, as well as health care technology.
We also have newer categories. We’re seeing more technology for the disability community, for example. Products that can serve people with disabilities had a large presence last year, and we expect that to be even bigger this year. Overall, the show is serving humanity and using technology and innovation to fill in gaps where we need a lot more work.
Q. AI is everywhere again this year. Are there any specific trends we should keep an eye out for?
SHAPIRO: Generative AI is affecting virtually every area. Just about every major exhibitor will be talking about AI in one form or another at CES this week. For businesses, the focus is more on enterprise and productivity. But for individuals, it’s about personalization.
We’ll see exhibitors, such as PC companies, focusing on personalization in new products for the PC and laptop marketplace. And then there’s AI being used in mobility — and not just in features for cars and self-driving. It’s for all sorts of vehicles, including agricultural products from companies like Caterpillar and John Deere.
Q. What kind of oversight is there for the gadgets and products we’ll see at CES this week?
SHAPIRO: The industry representing the companies involved welcomes government regulation. The government’s job is to say this is what is unsafe. And so the companies know what is legal and what is not. At the same time, a big challenge is if government stops innovation — so the question is for every country is finding that balance.
Q. How could policies from the incoming Trump administration — like proposed tariffs on foreign goods — impact consumer products like those seen at CES?
SHAPIRO: We expect the Trump administration to take a much more pro-business approach that favors innovation, including a focus on all sorts of energy sources, which is very important important. But tariffs are taxes. And we know that they are inflationary and paid for by consumers.
If we go forward with the proposals that the President-elect has indicated he may put in place, there would be severe impacts on the prosperity of the U.S. It depends on how exactly these tariffs are adopted but under some of the proposals, we estimate a range of a 30 to 50% price increases for basic products like PCs, cell phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches and all sorts of different products that consumers get a great value on today. That means that fewer people will be able to access these products. And, of course, other countries may then retaliate against U.S. exports. We don’t want to go in that direction.
Q. Are there any increased safety precautions CES is taking following last week’s Cybertruck explosion?
SHAPIRO: CES has always focused on safety. There’s a lot of things we can’t talk about, but suffice it to say, we work with federal, state, local and facility officials for lots of planning. We’ve made some modest changes given the recent events, but we’re always trying to do it better.
Q. CES also arrives a month after the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. Have companies made any additional security requests for their attending executives?
SHAPIRO: I think companies are excited to come here. And any requests we’ve gotten have been extremely isolated.
Having top executives here, especially after COVID, is very special. People are focused on coming to Las Vegas and having this opportunity to meet face-to-face and finding the serendipity and discovery that happens when you’re making these business connections in person. That’s why trade shows like CES and others are such important events for the world.
