Message from the President February.2024

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the world’s largest technology events, taking place at the start of each year. In 2024, it was held from January 9 through 12 with an all-time high of more than 4,000 companies exhibiting their products and services. The event was a great success with more than 130,000 visitors. Under the theme of “ALL ON,” the world’s leading companies exhibited next-generation products and services, mainly in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), accessibility, digital health and mobility. I believe that the event provided opportunities for new collaboration and partnership through joint experiences.

Playing a leading role was the social implementation of technology. Not only tech companies but also traditionally non-tech retailers and consumer products companies increased their presence in the event. The paradigm shifts currently taking place will likely change the future of the industry and make our everyday lives more convenient and affluent.

In particular, generative AI, which has been evolving at an acceleratingly pace in recent years using image analysis, large language models (LLM) and other tools, has created new value in products and services. In the mobility field, cars that can converse with drivers using generative AI were exhibited at the event by global automotive manufacturers and IT giants in the United States. Generative AI is expected to continue to evolve in the future as one of the core technology in fully automatic driving systems that enable unattended operation. In the field of human technologies, products and services that use generative AI were proposed as new partners in users’ everyday lives that offer new experiences of finding optimal personalized solutions in beauty care, shopping, cooking, healthcare, and other areas.

What I felt at the CES this time was that it was an event that not only exhibited products and services but also placed greater emphasis on social implementation than before. We can conclude that multidimensional approaches to solving materiality toward the realization of a sustainable society have spread rapidly across sector boundaries and industry categories.

We must perceive the tide and think and act. The social implementation of technology is generating innovation in all aspects of our daily lives. Some people’s jobs may change and other people may lose their jobs with the introduction of AI and other technologies, and people’s roles may change significantly. Especially now that the world is facing such rapid change, we must maintain sound risk awareness and aim at becoming globally competitive professionals.