AI will be in spotlight at the Consumer Electronics Show 2024, with glasses for the blind, shoes that make you walk faster and more on show

Las Vegas will host CES 2024 from January 9, where start-ups will join Google, Amazon and more to pitch the latest tech. Experts say AI will be the main theme

Cars, TVs and more powered by artificial intelligence will be on show; smaller companies will mount challenges to Apple and Meta in the mixed reality space

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CES attendees watch an LG curved OLED screen at CES 2023. At this year’s event, AI is expected to take centre stage, with everything from glasses for the blind to shoes powered by the technology on show. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:15pm, 7 Jan 2024

The annual tech industry fair known as the Consumer Electronics Show is regaining momentum after the Covid-19 pandemic, with artificial intelligence (AI) infusing everything from bicycles to baby bottles.

The gadget extravaganza, referred to as CES, formally kicks off on January 9 in Las Vegas, with more than 3,500 exhibitors and some 130,000 visitors expected. CES exhibitor and attendee numbers have jumped each year since the pandemic caused it to be an online-only event in 2021.

“After Covid some people thought they were not going back,” says Carolina Milanesi, an analyst for consumer tech research company Creative Strategies.

“But, smaller companies that don’t have the brand power to get attention they deserve at their own events are deciding to be part of the conversation at CES.”

Tech start-up Lumen’s glasses for the blind will feature at CES 2024. They let wearers know where it is safe to walk, even avoiding puddles. Photo: Instagram/@dotlumen

While the show is increasingly a showcase for start-ups, big brands such as Amazon, Google, Intel, Netflix, Samsung, Sony and TikTok will also be there, according to the Consumer Technology Association, which is organising the event.