After a fantastic few days in Las Vegas for CES 2024 - the most powerful tech event in the world - we are settling back into much quieter surroundings here in Edinburgh. On the 100th anniversary, the event saw a staggering 135k + estimated to have attended the Las Vegas Convention Centre event. With many of the biggest names in attendance (including BMW, Sony, Nvidia, TomTom, Vinfast, L’Oreal, Supernal, Microsoft, Samsung, and Here Technologies - to name a few). We expected nothing short of outstanding, and wow, did it deliver! We summarised what we felt were the biggest takeaways from this fantastic tech event.
Artificial Intelligence
AI has been the talk of the town in recent months and was the main focus point of the event this year. We listened to some of the talks by industry leaders, where they went into more detail about the use of AI and explained why it is critical to building a better future.
During the event, we attended a presentation by Samsung Electronics where Vice Chairman, CEO, and Head of Samsung’s DX (Device eXperience) Division, Jong-Hee (JH) Han, said, ‘AI is reshaping industries beyond technology, and it has the power to make life easier, more inclusive for all.’ Han explained that Samsung Electronics' investment in the development of AI has spanned over a decade and is now ‘coming to life,’ showing his excitement surrounding this. Samsung Electronics is one of many companies actively implementing and continually developing AI, not just within the customer experience but also within services and operational functions, which Han said will increase productivity. He spoke of the ‘great social responsibility’ of using AI in technology, describing the measures Samsung Electronics has taken to ensure their systems and devices are secure. Han also spoke of AI's positive impact on the planet, stating that Samsung is ‘proactively deploying AI to help us conserve more energy.’
Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, was interviewed at CES and spoke about how the science of AI ‘shows no end’ and that with the advancements of AI, ‘we are going to build some of the greatest technology that solves some of the human problems at a pace that we haven't seen for decades.’ Gelsinger said about AI, ‘We’re just getting started.’
We also listened to an interview with HERE Technologies where Jason Jameson, Chief Customer Officer, explained how the use of AI can transform the way companies undertake business and how it can improve the end customer experience. He went into detail about how HERE Technologies has a ‘strong AI story’ and that they are finding that customers are expecting more from using AI. Jameson explained how they use AI alongside Unimap at HERE Technologies, which processes millions of map updates, performs change detection, and publishes these updates daily.
Vehicle Tech and Advanced Mobility
Alongside the hype surrounding AI, vehicle tech and advanced mobility played a massive part at this year's CES event. With 600+ mobility exhibitors, it is described as ‘one of the largest and fastest growing global auto, mobility and transportation events.’ There were many new announcements by those in the mobility field regarding forthcoming advancements in autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, flying cars, micro-mobility, and software-defined vehicles, as well as the future of assistive mobility and safety systems.
We met with our partners, TomTom, the location technology specialists, at their exhibition stand, where they showed their suite of products. We thoroughly enjoyed speaking with the team and seeing their map demo section, including Map Maker, a program allows the user to create custom maps and TomTom Orbis Maps, a development in conjunction with Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap which combines ‘the best of both open and proprietary data sources to solve your location tech needs’ (find out more here).
TomTom also showcased an advanced AI-powered voice assistant for drivers, based on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and built within TomTom’s Digital Cockpit. This collaboration brings new automotive solutions, allowing drivers to control their vehicle verbally, making the overall journey more comfortable, and ‘bringing the benefits of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to the global automotive industry.’ (See both TomTom's and Microsoft's press releases here).
Jameson from HERE Technologies also spoke of the attention surrounding electric vehicles at CES 2024 and how the increasing levels of automation and autonomy will continue to open up opportunities for HERE Technologies, with them making three major announcements at CES 2024.
1. A collaboration with BMW where HERE HD Live Map powers BMW Personal Pilot Level 3 highly automated driving function. This new self-drive seven series will launch in Germany in March this year. (See the full press release here).
2. Here is to partner with Uber to become their ‘Global Location Provider,’ providing location data to improve pick-up and drop-off locations for mobility and delivery businesses, enhancing user experience and efficiency. (See the full press release here).
3. HERE will now provide Lotus with ‘precise mapping and advanced EV services’ for their all-new fully electric Hyper Emeya GT vehicle. (See the full press release here).
Jameson said he was ‘excited about the potential of location technology for the industry’ and that they’re ‘seeing a lot of change happening around the automotive space for software-defined vehicles.’ He also alluded to the possibility of more key announcements in the coming months!
Digital Health
The use of technology within the health industry is life-changing. It was fascinating to see the advanced healthcare tech, including Abbott's wireless pacemaker, which will improve the comfort and quality of life of those who require a pacemaker. We also learned about Nuance Audio hearing glasses by Essilor Luxottica; these frames include audiology capabilities to help those with mild to moderate hearing loss. Both of these examples show that technology has no limits, and it really does improve and can even save lives.
In conclusion, our visit to CES 2024 was nothing short of exceptional. The event showcased incredible technological innovations, with AI as the driving force behind industry transformation.
As we return home, CES 2024 has left us feeling inspired by the limitless possibilities presented by AI and the exciting future unfolding in the vehicle technology and advanced mobility sector - which we’re excited to be a part of through our Street-Level Data Platform.
We thank all event organisers for creating such a seamless and inspiring event.
About Terra Visus:
Terra Visus is a leading provider of street-level imagery and LiDAR data, supplying some of the world's largest technology companies and organisations.
The Terra Visus street-level data platform is a conduit for global street-level image data, facilitating a professional marketplace for data collectors and buyers looking for specific data sets.
Founded in 2021, Terra Visus is headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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