This year's CES in Las Vegas once again showcased new products and technological advances from companies all over the world. For the marketing industry in particular, the show served as a guiding light for what consumers can expect in the coming months.

Among the highlights were a series of AI innovations, from Samsung’s Ballie smart home robot, which controls appliances and reports on your pet’s behaviour via SMS, to Walmart’s AI checkout system, which speeds up checkout and reduces staffing requirements by automatically recognising purchases through cameras and AI algorithms. These moves to incorporate AI solutions into brands’ businesses all reflect the public’s growing interest, or even reliance, on AI. As a result, demand for similar applications at exhibitions and events are expected to grow, with features such as AI guides evolving from gimmicky novelties to standard elements. For example, at last year’s ZGC Forum’s exhibition in Beijing, Pico integrated AI virtual guide and AR navigation technologies into a virtual exhibition hall, creating an immersive experience for online and offline visitors.

Additionally, with the increasing maturity of VR and AR, wearable devices have regained popularity. These include the XREAL Air 2 Ultra AR glasses and Apple Vision Pro headset, whose high-quality 3D images, sophisticated motion tracking and spatial positioning functions create a realistic AR experience. New hardware and the development of AR are complementary, which leads to the creation of more stunning visual experiences. It also holds great potential to further promote and even revolutionise immersive experiences along with the web3 concept that has become so popular in recent years.

As CES demonstrates, rapid technological advances has not distracted brands from maintaining their commitment to sustainability. At the show, Hyundai prominently showcased its hydrogen fuel cell innovations, while SK Group of South Korea created a small amusement park powered by clean energy and AI, promoting its cutting-edge green technologies through rides such as the ‘Clean Energy Train’ and ‘Magic Carpet Tour’.

These examples demonstrate the need for brands to explore and embrace technologies such as AI and AR, and to integrate sustainable elements into their solutions to cater to consumers’ prevailing expectations.