Sustainability
From the first radio sets to sustainable energy sources, technology certainly has changed in 250 years. Despite environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations being different around the world, customers are demanding a cleaner future. It was noted during CES that businesses that fail to embrace sustainability risk falling behind. They are embracing how tech can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. The energy industry is turning its attention to zero carbon, handling increased energy and power demands, and creating grid resiliency against attacks.
There is a strong trend that Gen Z has its eyes on sustainability, focusing on purchasing products with sustainability in mind, like headphones that charge using flexible solar cells. Companies are listening. For example, Panasonic is focusing on clean production and sustainability. By the end of 2024, Panasonic had 44 manufacturing sites that had achieved net zero status. Their focus on sustainability is tied to the idea that everything is connected. From our EV batteries—Panasonic is one of the top producers of EV batteries in the U.S.—to more sustainable homes, reducing business emissions is one step in decarbonization.
The move toward sustainability isn’t limited to the battery of a car. Car manufacturers are choosing a physics-design model for sustainability. Instead of operating in silos, they are recognizing the manufacturing process needs to change. There needs to be a database of materials to combine an engineering model with the design process to pick the most sustainable materials rather than operating as separate units like in the past.
See where the technology industry is headed:
Fireside Chat With CTA Futurist Brian Comiskey
Watch NowArtificial Intelligence (AI)
We learn daily that AI is more than a buzzword. What is changing is the shift in the discussion from understanding AI to showing the return on investment (ROI) and increased efficiency from using AI tools. The question has moved from What can we do with AI? to How does AI add value? CES demonstrated that AI integration is showing up in many products. AI surrounds us, from sustainability to electrified ecosystems to increased autonomous items and smart homes. As we personally upgrade our tech, we will see AI in our TVs, laptops, smartphones, and vehicles. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a user interface in your car rather than have to flip through the thick owner’s manual to find out what the blinking light on your dashboard means?
CES retail displays showed that the future of shopping includes AI personalization and virtual “try it on” opportunities. In enterprise environments, autonomous applications create safer warehouse movement when a frontloader uses AI to make decisions and interact safely with humans on site. How do we collaborate, cooperate, and coordinate with technology at all times? Gen Z has never been without technology, so coexistence with technology is a must.
CES demos and panels proved that voice and conversation will drive innovation. Soon, we may all be making reservations or ordering our favorite takeout by voice. While gaming companies now have to focus more than ever on increasing consideration for security and privacy, there is a strong push to find the power and technology to achieve conversational AI and improve user experiences. The automotive company Zeekr has partnered with Mapbox, for example, to elevate what smart driving means. Users can update maps immediately when they find errors for other users across the platform. Mapbox’s MapGPT allows drivers to create input/output as a casual conversation with the car.
Digital Health
Who doesn’t want to live longer, better, and healthier? Access to personal health data is as easy as looking at a watch. People with wearable devices have access to real-time data that impacts daily decisions versus waiting until the next doctor’s visit in six months. On the consumer level, it helps the general public become interested in health and gain expertise in their health. The future of innovation in healthcare technology trends will shift from the collection of data to the technology and AI that will leverage the data for more efficiency and faster decision making.
What’s exciting is the opportunity to quickly get data and then aggregate it into meaningful use cases to create a holistic view of a patient’s health. Physicians might not be able to make more time with patients, but pairing the aggregation of data and the use of AI with traditional health practices will help optimize the time spent with patients and diagnostics and speed up diagnosis. The access to data may enable patients and users to have an objective, proactive conversation with their doctors and remove the emotional piece of the discussion.
There is still a gap, however, in how data will securely transfer to healthcare systems and providers. Questions still remain, such as: Who are the stakeholders in the ecosystem who need access to the personal health data captured from wearable devices? How will they use the data? Many innovators will need partnerships with hospitals and other stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem to understand who needs the data and why they need it, and to create industry standards around how best to transfer and store the data.
When asked where opportunities for improvement exist in the digital health spectrum, Tunde Oyeneyin, a CES 20205 panelist, New York Times best-selling author, Peloton instructor, global Nike athlete, motivational speaker, and Lingo wearer, answered, “Diversity within the user experience … and getting the [health] information and technology into underserved communities.”
Gaming
The average gamer is 33 years old and has been gaming for 21 years. Anyone who grew up on Atari can attest to how much the look of games has changed over the last 50 years. Consideration for who is playing the games is a factor. Accessibility in gaming—building stories and games to allow diverse user groups to participate—is important to companies. User experience goes beyond the console, too. Companies want to connect with players, and players are willing to use different platforms to go deeper into the stories of the games they love. An example of this is “The Last of Us” game and HBO series. “Fallout” is another TV show that was created after the popular video game. In today’s world, video games are considered the comic books of days past. Blizzard is focused on sharing the storytelling and lore across various platforms. Having accessibility creates community, which is one of Blizzard’s biggest initiatives, regardless of what media they are interacting with, e.g., console, mobile, desktop, etc. Gaming companies, of course, also rely on AI to increase speed, develop customization, and take innovation to its furthest points.
Today, companies like Microsoft (Xbox) and Activision Blizzard (Call of Duty and Candy Crush Saga, to name only two) are looking for ways to integrate advertising into games through the use of incentives. For example, in 2022, Activision Blizzard created a campaign with Prada via Candy Crush. Players could embark on a mini-game quest that gave them a fun, playful way to learn more about the Prada fragrance as well as engage with the game. As Activision Blizzard Media notes, the campaign was highly successful in driving interest in the game and the fragrance. Within 24 hours, 40,000 fragrance samples were requested by players.
Gaming companies are using AI for a better user experience. As mentioned earlier, when gaming companies gain access to user data, security and privacy have become forefront considerations. And, much like in the automotive industry, creating conversational AI is a hope of the gaming industry to enhance the players’ experiences.
Accessibility & Globalization of Games
Accessible language enables users to play the game in any capacity. Dedicated teams help ensure that the games resonate in the local markets. “How can Diablo feel as much like a German game as it feels like an American game, as a U.S. game?” Building on local insights helps to understand the players. Building forums and blogs, e.g., digging into Reddit and Discord for players, can create engaging conversations about games.
Community Building
Connecting players is the biggest opportunity for the expansion of intellectual property (IP). The question of Where are gamers spending time? is the question on the minds of game developers. BlizzCon, for example, is bringing together the gamers of the “Blizzard Universe,” where Blizzard Entertainment is able to bring the player base new experiences and opportunity for virtual reaility (VR) experiences.
Some interesting gamer statistics gleaned from CES:
- The power of access – gamers want seamless on-demand experiences
- 57% of gamers dislike interruptive ads
- 62% are more likely to purchase from brands advertised in their favorite games
- 78% of players want to be rewarded for their engagement
What does our attendance at CES mean for our clients? CES allows our team to gain valuable insights into the latest tech innovations and how they will impact our clients and their businesses. This opportunity allows Forvis Mazars to continue to provide our clients with an Unmatched Client Experience®.
Forvis Mazars is a proud new Industry Associate member of the Consumer Technology Association, which hosts CES annually. We look forward to leveraging our relationship with CTA to access industry research and trends and participate in membership committees where we can share our clients’ voices in developing industry standards.
In addition to attending CES, Forvis Mazars will continue investing in the industry through other CTA-hosted events throughout the year, including:
CTA aligns with our core values of forward-thinking and delivering exceptional value to clients. As a firm, Forvis Mazars prioritizes deep industry knowledge. By joining CTA and its team of experts in the dynamic technology ecosystem, we will continue to provide our clients with timely and reliable insights.
