I’m on my option to Las Vegas for CES. Identical to yearly for the previous seven, I’m beginning my January by attending the preeminent world tech occasion the place amongst a couple of different issues, AI could also be mentioned. I’ll deliver you my observations, ideas, and traditional skepticism. And speak about why CES just isn’t essential simply to client tech however to authorized and authorized tech as properly.
CES In January
January. The vacations are over. It’s again to work. Again to high school. Once I was a training lawyer, it meant beginning throughout at 0 billable hours and origination credit. It’s winter.
And also you suppose the occasion’s over
But it surely’s solely simply begun
“Entire Huge World” – Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
However for some 150,000 of us, it means it’s time for CES, the mammoth nonstop convention, present, events, and gross sales pitches stretching from one finish of Las Vegas to the opposite. It’s labeled the “world’s premier expertise tradeshow” by the present’s producer, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), North America’s largest tech commerce affiliation. I can’t dispute that CES is the most important and definitely probably the most well-known tech commerce present.
The present begins on January 4 with two full media days, adopted by 4 days of academic classes, keynotes, press conferences, and a number of exhibit halls that may seemingly function the wares of over 4,500 exhibitors together with some 140,000 if no more attendees. (See CTA 2025 Audit Statements housed on the CES media website for final yr’s numbers.) I will likely be there for as a lot of it as I can do for Above the Legislation and providing my insights and ideas alongside the best way.
(As an apart, as somebody who has co-chaired a premier authorized tech present, ABA’s TechShow, I can solely think about what the vacations should be like for CES occasion planners staring down this present.)
Why Am I Right here?
Now for the large query: what’s a lawyer/authorized tech journalist doing right here? Authorized tech is authorized tech, it’s not client expertise, proper? Unsuitable. So many developments in client tech finally discover their approach into all kinds of tech utilized in companies, together with authorized.
It’s essential to know the place tech goes generally since that too impacts authorized tech. It’s essential to listen to what these exterior authorized tech are doing and pondering. It’s important to listen to how they view issues and what excites them. And sure, a lot of what they show at CES is pie-in-the-sky tech that received’t occur… till it does.
It’s additionally enlightening to listen to what issues and challenges them as properly. Authorized tech just isn’t tech unto itself. It’s tech for a specific market however it’s nonetheless tech.
Previously, I’ve written about things like the approaching impression of agentic AI, deepfakes, workforce management within the age of AI, the metaverse, how one can make legal tech decisions, quantum computing and cybersecurity, amongst different matters, all related to authorized on daily basis.
However past all this and maybe most significantly, as I’ve written before, it’s additionally in regards to the angle and vibe. The individuals at CES are searching for concepts that would, may, or risk work. And even when they don’t, that’s okay too as a result of they might result in one thing that does. Authorized, alternatively, too typically seems to be for tactics issues received’t work. At CES, change is every thing. Authorized? Change is anathema.
This Yr’s Large Subjects
What are a few of the huge matters this yr? Final yr, the principle space of intersect highlighted by the attendees was after all AI, based mostly once more on the CTA Audit Assertion. It was adopted by IoT, car expertise (it’s typically mentioned CES is the world’s largest automotive present, by the best way), and robotics.
This yr, CTA representatives imagine the transformative energy of AI and agentic AI together with well being and mobility will likely be huge matters for dialogue. Robotics will proceed to be sizzling, together with sensible glasses, spatial computing, and vitality improvements, which can even be entrance and middle. The latter is of specific curiosity given the potential challenges to the vitality infrastructure that AI might deliver, a important matter we’ve recently discussed.
I’m significantly searching for the challenges to AI and its implementation. I’m searching for how we as a society can handle the disruption AI may deliver. These points weren’t precisely entrance and middle on the current AI Summit which I attended and discussed final month. We’ll see if they’re talked about right here.
Media Days at CES
CES all the time provides two days only for media. The media days kick off with numerous press conferences, probably the most extravagant being that of Samsung and LG Electronics, together with a number of different well-known firms (Apple stopped attending the present years in the past). The press conferences are used for product bulletins and are full-scale productions unto themselves as an alternative of cut-and-dried lists of options and advantages.
However the spotlight of media days for me has all the time been the Tech Tendencies to Watch presentation on the primary day. The report is predicated on surveys, statistics, and analysis of CTA and is an efficient option to see the place expertise goes and what’s on the horizon. I’ve written about this session and what it reveals earlier than.
It’s instantly adopted by Unveiled Las Vegas, the place media representatives are given a primary take a look at what lots of the exhibitors and sponsors will likely be displaying and demoing on the principle exhibit flooring throughout the week. It’s smaller scale than the principle exhibit flooring and provides extra alternatives to speak to the distributors about what they’re doing and seeing.
The Keynotes
The record of keynote audio system reads like a who’s who of client electronics and for that matter, trade. This yr contains keynote displays by the CEOs of Siemens, Caterpillar (if it’s a must to ask why a tractor firm CEO is giving a keynote at a tech convention, you’re a little behind already), AMD, Vivendi, Basic Catalyst, and Lenovo, amongst others. There will likely be displays by the worldwide managing associate of the consulting agency McKinsey together with these of the CEO and President of CTA itself.
Networking and Schooling
To say CES is sort of a multi-ring circus is a little bit of an understatement. It contains 10 cavernous exhibit halls — it’s the one present I’ve ever been to the place it’s a must to really wait in line to view the exhibit areas of some extra well-known distributors. With over 4,500 exhibitors, it’s virtually not possible to see every thing. The halls are divided up topically, in order that does make planning a bit simpler.
There are additionally ample networking prospects, a plethora of events, and ample different occasions. However one of many highlights for me are the quite a few academic classes that happen all through the week. As set out under, these classes will be enlightening, scary, informative, and entertaining.
However as in most years, I’m certain there will likely be branches and spin off classes that spotlight new and attention-grabbing points and challenges.
I’m moderately certain I’m going to listen to a variety of AI babble and hype. In some ways, that’s what CES is largely about: dreaming huge, residing giant, and brief on particulars. However that’s one more reason I’m right here, to assist separate the hype from actuality.
One cautionary be aware: given the variety of attendees and a number of exhibit halls, the logistics of attending lots of the classes could be a problem. Strive protecting the roughly mile and a half from the Conference Heart to the Venetian Heart together with 1000’s of different individuals all shifting in several instructions on the similar time. I will likely be making a variety of game-time choices based mostly on what’s sizzling, what might pertain to authorized, and sometimes what’s logistically attainable.
As soon as Once more, Keep Tuned
So, this yr, similar to the final seven, I’ll be in Vegas bringing you what I be taught, see, and listen to. I’m certain I will likely be speaking about AI, agentic AI, the sensible challenges of AI, and the hype machine. I’ll be drawing the connection between what I hear and be taught and its potential impression on authorized.
Dangle on, the occasion’s simply starting. It’s going to be an entire huge world at CES.
Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and author. He publishes TechLaw Crossroads, a weblog dedicated to the examination of the strain between expertise, the regulation, and the follow of regulation.
