Deven: This is one of those instances where what happens in Vegas, is definitely not staying in Vegas. The exhibits, products and ideas I saw, will transform the way we live.
John: What really inspired you?
Deven: To start, the much-lauded Neon AI, which by now everyone has seen on the major news outlets and all over the Internet. With good reason. Neon blew my mind. Cnet probably described this one the best: a chatbot with a human face and personality. It was uncanny how human they look, and how they can respond to stimuli.
John: What do they actually do?
Deven: Right now, not much — but possible scenarios include language tutor, concierge, receptionist. There will be huge implications for call centers.
Deven: The behavior of AI is, of course, heavily impacted by what’s happening with 5G — another huge theme at CES, but one that was more mixed this year than last. There’s still a lot of press touting 5G and how it will impact environments like smart cities and autonomous vehicles, but less focus on devices that actually use 5G. And DSS – dynamic spectrum sharing, a technology designed to ease the transition from 4G to 5G – won’t be up and running on any major telco network until later this year. There’s also more discussion than previously about alleged health effects of 5G on people. So the conversation is shifting somewhat.
John: So, more hype than substance for 5G? Speaking of smart cities, what’s the latest there?
Deven: This will be particularly pertinent to our clients in the coming months and years: mobility and transportation are being transformed and are actually at the forefront of redefining the way we live and work.
John: How so?
Deven: Well, Toyota has concepted an entire city at the base of Mt. Fuji, connected by a transport system fueled by hydrogen cells. It’s like sustainability meets tech meets connectivity meets mobility and it’s brilliant. And then Hyundai is working with Uber, which is another smart approach to consumer-driven (no pun intended) mobility.
John: Let’s talk about changes to the way we market. What did you hear from other marketing professionals about the way the industry is going to change this decade?
Deven: On the macro level, these new forms of transportation and living spaces and connected cities will mean the creation of dozens of new channels and ways to interact with audiences and behaviors.
John: And on the micro level?
Deven: From a practical standpoint, I was struck by Marketo’s new mandate to eliminate slide sharing during presentations and replace with real-time dashboards. After all, what’s the point of sharing real-time results through a static presentation? This is agile marketing in action.
John: Overall, what were your thoughts as CES kicks off a new decade?
Deven: I was inspired. I was reminded that we are a global community and we are all experiencing exponential change at a rate never before seen by humanity. There will be a redefinition of the meaning of speed. The excitement in the air for new ideas and new technologies was shared across nationalities and across industries and across age groups. This decade is going to be exciting.