The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is often considered a vantage point into the future of technology. However, it may not be the first place lawyers would think to attend to glean insights applicable to their legal practice. An article on Above The Law, a website dedicated to legal news, gives a fascinating account and critical takeaways from a lawyer’s perspective attending the CES 2024.
The CES, as the exposé recounts, is an extraordinary event, taking over Las Vegas for a week, with over 4,300 exhibitors and more than 135,000 attendees. The author, with years of attending the show under his belt, focused on potential legal implications from emerging technologies, from apps to general ideas.
The legal professional onsite provided updates during the show with emphasis on products and events relevant to the legal sector. A significant takeaway from the show was the overarching presence of large corporations such as Samsung, Panasonic, and LGE, overshadowing the startups and smaller players.
While CES is fundamentally a consumer product show, the layout suggested a much broadened scope. It covered areas such as automotive products, health, home appliances, televisions, and a cluster of other electronics. One notable observation was that Gen AI, predicted to be the primary focus of CES 2024, did not indeed monopolize the event. It was more about what the products using Gen AI could actually do.
The author also reported on a startup investment pitch session and although Gen AI was a recurring theme, most startup pitches were geared towards products solving practical, everyday problems – an indication to stick to the basics. Although these extensive showcases provided many insights, there were also discussions about the ethical use of Gen AI and possible government regulations, hinting at the tech industry’s latent concerns.
The author concludes by asserting that his trenches in the show aren’t for exploring trendy gadgets, but rather observing applicable technologies to the legal field. By participating in CES, the author emphasizes that he reaps several insights—for instance, that problem-solving should look for pain points and use Gen AI accordingly, the need for legal tech vendors to understand their customers’ needs, and how Gen AI can force changes in argumentation techniques. Particularly inspiring was the international nature of the event, its exposure to multiple cultures, languages, and new ideas.
To read the original report in full and further understand the key takeaways from CES 2024 with a legal perspective, click here.