Artificial Intelligence (AI) took center stage at CES 2024, making its presence felt in every corner of the exhibition. From advanced generative AI to familiar AI technologies, the event showcased several creative applications. Join us as we explore the top AI technologies displayed at CES 2024.
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The 5 best AI tech at CES 2024
At CES 2024, there were many AI technology announcements, but which ones truly stood out? Here are the top 5 AI technologies that caught our attention, and we’re excited to share them with you.
AI-Powered baby cry translator
The AI-powered baby cry translator is an innovative solution for parents to understand their crying babies. Cappella, a startup based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has developed a phone app that claims to understand babies’ cries and accurately determine whether they’re hungry, uncomfortable, tired, or need a diaper change. This innovative technology, powered by AI and machine learning, boasts an impressive accuracy rate of over 95%, surpassing the mere 30% accuracy rate of human attempts to interpret their babies’ needs.
Apolline Deroche, founder and CEO of Cappella and an MIT graduate, stated that they have trained their AI technology on large datasets of baby cries collected from hospitals. By analyzing markers and considering contextual factors, the app can provide real-time feeds and notifications to caregivers whenever their baby cries, along with an interpretation of the cry’s meaning.
The app requires placing one phone in the baby’s room and another with the caregivers. These devices are connected through Cappella’s app for seamless communication. Caregivers can receive notifications and insights into their baby’s cries, helping them understand whether the baby is hungry, tired, or experiencing discomfort. If the caregivers disagree with the app’s interpretation, they can provide feedback by using a thumbs-down button, further refining the AI’s understanding.
In addition to its primary function of translating cries, Cappella is also developing AI-generated sounds designed to soothe crying babies. This feature aims to provide additional comfort and support for babies and their caregivers.
Ethical Use of AI Voices in Creating Content
Replica Studios (Replica) and The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have teamed up for an AI voice agreement. This collaboration offers voice-over artists to explore new opportunities for their digital voice replicas while prioritizing the highest standards of authenticity.
This agreement ensures that Replica engages SAG-AFTRA members fairly and ethically, allowing them to create and license digital replicas of their voices. Media projects, including video games, can integrate these licensed voices seamlessly, preserving the natural and human-like qualities of the performances.
With the endorsement of the voice-over performer community within SAG-AFTRA, this contract represents a significant step towards promoting the ethical use of AI voices in creative projects, particularly within the gaming industry. This initiative actively establishes clear minimum terms and conditions, giving priority to performer consent and negotiation regarding the use of their digital voice replicas. It further grants performers the freedom to decide whether their voices are utilized in new works.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher expressed great satisfaction with the partnership, emphasizing the crucial role of SAG-AFTRA contracts in safeguarding performers against unauthorized digital simulations of their voices. SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland emphasized the need to protect the rights of voice talent, especially as the industry seeks efficient methods of content creation. He commended the agreement for ensuring informed consent and fair compensation for voices and performances, while also setting a positive example for other companies to follow suit.
Predicting the future with AI
Dutch startup Focus is working towards bringing the concept of AI predicting the future from science fiction into reality. The company’s founder and CEO, Jard van Ingen, claims their AI model can forecast the next major technological breakthrough by analyzing global patent data.
Focus utilizes advanced technology to examine patent data from different countries, including North Korea, to predict upcoming trends and assess their chances of success. This evaluation takes into account factors such as the frequency of patent updates related to a particular technology, citation rates of related patterns, and other relevant indicators.
One of the notable insights provided by Focus AI is its verdict on solid-state batteries. Van Ingen states that, according to their analysis, solid-state batteries are unlikely to succeed. Despite significant investments from automakers like Toyota, other electric vehicle (EV) battery technologies that have experienced faster development and improvement are expected to reach the market before solid-state batteries can.
Focus has gained a prominent customer in the form of the U.S. Navy. The company’s AI technology is utilized by the U.S. government to determine international technology strategies. Van Ingen mentioned that Focus has made predictions for the U.S. government, but he did not disclose specific details.
With its unique approach to analyzing patent data and making predictions, Focus is pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities. By leveraging its AI analysis platform, the company aims to provide valuable insights that can shape future technological advancements and strategies.
AI-Powered Haircare
CombAI is a smart comb developed by Hong Kong startup HairCoSys. This innovative hair care solution aims to combat hair loss using AI technology. Founder and CEO Michael Wong, who is from a family of hair care experts and owners of the renowned hair loss treatment brand HairAgain, has taken inspiration from witnessing customers arriving at their treatment centers with advanced hair loss after neglecting early signs.
CombAI stands out as more than just an ordinary comb—it is a sophisticated device that incorporates an embedded camera to illuminate and capture images of the scalp and hair. These images are instantly analyzed in real-time through the connected app, providing valuable insights into the health of both the hair and scalp.
The foundation of HairCoSys’s AI model lies in Wong’s family business, HairAgain. Over one million hair and scalp photos provided by HairAgain have been used to train the AI system. With this large dataset, the AI can identify more than 20 types of hair and scalp problems, including dandruff, excessive sebum, and early signs of hair loss and thinning. Impressively, the accuracy rate of the AI system reaches up to 90%.
Not only does CombAI detect hair and scalp conditions, but it also recommends personalized haircare products based on the user’s specific needs. This tailored approach ensures that individuals receive targeted solutions to address their hair and scalp concerns effectively.
AI-Enhanced Adult Toys
Artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize every aspect of human lives, and the adult toy industry is no exception. Despite the limited representation at this year’s CES, a few sex tech exhibitors actively showcased how they can apply machine learning and AI to their field, presenting innovative possibilities.
By converting adult videos and other related content into structured data, Svakom trained their AI models to understand and adapt the device’s pressure, frequency, and movement patterns to simulate human sexual activity more accurately. Although explicit adult content was not permissible on the CES show floor, Svakom ingeniously demonstrated this technology using a workout video. As the woman in the video performed jumping jacks on an iPad, the device mirrored her actions by moving up and down accordingly.
The Svakom executive highlighted that the sex tech industry is still in its early stages of exploring AI applications. However, they firmly believe that AI holds tremendous potential within their industry. Currently, the primary focus remains on familiarizing people with the use of sex toys, with the subsequent integration of AI to enhance the overall experience. As the industry evolves, we can expect further advancements in AI technology that promise to redefine the boundaries of adult entertainment, offering exciting innovations.
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Conclusion: AI at CES 2024
CES 2024 showcased the incredible potential of artificial intelligence (AI) across several fields, transforming different aspects of our lives. From AI-powered baby cry translators to AI-enhanced adult toys, innovative applications were on display. The event also highlighted the ethical use of AI voices in content creation and AI’s ability to predict future technological breakthroughs. As we continue to embrace AI, we can expect even more exciting innovations in the future.
