As CES 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to take a step back and process the sights, sounds and conversations that fueled the week. Marketers had plenty to dive into, from talk of decentralized, third-party cookie alternatives called “doughnuts” to X’s mixed reception on the ground. There was also the spectacle of the Las Vegas Sphere, which became a de facto hub for agency-client outings.

On the show floor, electronics giants LG and Samsung jostled for attention, both bringing a fleet of robots, transparent TVs and—although very few knew they needed it—artificial intelligence-powered laundry.

Here are Ad Age’s main tech takeaways from CES 2024 for brands, agencies and the rest of the marketing industry.

Brands set the stage for mixed reality

Mainstream use of mixed reality began to take shape at CES as several big brands exhibited products that may eventually serve as portals. Sony teased a “spatial content creation” system that includes a headset and controllers and is geared toward both work and play. And though Apple did not appear at CES, the tech giant this week divulged the launch date and price for its highly anticipated Vision Pro headset—an announcement that certainly ginned up interest in similar technology on display in Las Vegas.

Also read: Marketing guide to Apple’s Vision Pro headset

LG and Samsung showed another potential avenue for mixed reality: next-gen TVs. The electronics companies both unveiled transparent screens that garnered serious crowds during the first couple of days of the convention. The screens allow for a unique viewing experience powered by an AI processor, and can switch display settings between a TV, computer-like screen saver and purely transparent box. Gaming, too, is expected to have a place on the models as its immersiveness is enhanced in the coming future.

These innovations, as well as others from lesser-known CES exhibitors, help provide a glimpse into a future technology for which much has been said but very little has been shown. In many ways, terms like mixed reality or “spatial computing” have become digestible placeholders for “metaverse”—a word that, like many relating to Web3, has earned an eye roll-inducing reputation. 

Automotive brands are all-in on generative AI 

Generative AI was expected to be out in full force at this year’s CES, but what came as a surprise was the automotive industry grabbing many of the chatbot-related headlines. 

Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz each announced integrations of generative AI inside their respective vehicles. Volkswagen made arguably the biggest splash because it plans to incorporate ChatGPT—the most recognizable AI platform available. The chatbot will be used to enhance the communication skills of in-car virtual assistants, such as for navigating and customizing settings. ChatGPT is expected to become available across numerous cars in Volkswagen’s lineup later in 2024.

Meanwhile, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are enabling similar generative AI functionality with help from Amazon. Mercedes-Benz did not specify which AI provider it is working with, although it has previously tested ChatGPT for this kind of role.

The blitz signals a growing avenue for consumer exposure to generative AI, and perhaps a new marketing focus for automakers.

AI, though smart, can still have dumb use cases

Seeing all these auto brands incorporate AI, one can’t help but ask: Do people actually want this?

The answer appeared irrelevant to several big electronics brands exhibiting head-scratching use cases of AI technology on the show floor. Samsung, for example, showcased an entire kitchen powered by AI. A refrigerator with an“ AI vision camera” knows when you’ve removed items and when you’ve added them. It can also “talk” with a range stove-top that is fitted with its own “AI hub.” And the range has a camera, too.

And both Samsung and LG displayed AI-powered laundry units, the former alluding to a capability vaguely called “intelligent sensing.”

People talk about hype cycles when it comes to AI, and these kinds of activations indicate that peak hype has still not been reached. But the more marketers pile on the tech, the deeper the fall may be toward an inevitable “trough of disillusionment.” 

Rise of robots for the home

A strange but fun trend at this year’s CES was a cast of robots meant to help out at home. These aren’t Roombas, however, but AI-powered companions with apparently strong communicative skills. 

LG’s AI agent is a biped with big eyes and an adorable jaunt. A demo at LG’s booth showed the bot navigating independently, speaking with a hypothetical homeowner and sending them image reports of their home when they’re away.

Samsung exhibited its own cute robot called Ballie, which was first launched a few years ago but has apparently been retrofitted with new AI capabilities. One enhancement allows Ballie to project a screen onto the floor, wall or ceilings, showing things like your email, calendar or a dinner recipe.

Some lesser-known companies also exhibited robots for the home, such as ORo from Ogmen Robotics, which can play with your pet. There’s also the Loona bot from Beijing KEYi Technology Co. Ltd, which is designed to play the role of a pet itself. And yes, it’s integrated with ChatGPT. 

Where, oh where is Web3?

Web3 had a subdued presence at this year’s CES, hardly making itself known outside of the Digital Hollywood track in C Space. Sure, some metaverse technology made it out to the show floor, but for the conference at large, the words “Web3” and “NFTs” remained elusive.

What might this say about the future of the space for marketers? For one, it speaks to the branding problem of Web3, in which core terminology like “NFTs” and “blockchain-based” have become more of a burden to the mainstream consumer than a source of excitement. 

A more optimistic conclusion is that Web3 remains in the dreary part of its hype cycle, and while NFT price floors may be low, brands and companies are still finding ways to build on the technology (although not out in the open).    

An agency source told Ad Age that major Web3 players tend to avoid CES for more crypto-focused shows, such as Permissionless, Consensus and NFT New York/Paris. This seems antithetical to Web3’s loud-and-clear goal of pursuing mainstream adoption. But maybe the space is still in a kind of middle school phase—awkward, partial to keeping a small circle, though nearing the day that it will crawl out of its shell.

Also read: Web3 has a branding problem