Monday, January 6, 2020 | 2020 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Attended the early morning session entitled “CES 2020 Trends to Watch” in the North Hall of the convention center. The session was presented by Steve Koenig, VP, Research, Consumer Technology Association. During the session, Steve previewed trends in consumer technology, the next big things and disruptive innovations that will redefine consumer technology in 2020. Essentially, Steve attempted to answer the big question many attendees are asking “What’s happening in consumer tech?”

Steve talked about how a New IoT, a new Intelligence of Things, will dominate the consumer technology landscape, and will influence the culture during the upcoming decade.

Global 5G deployment in 2019.

It is forecast that 5G handsets shipments will reach 20.2m in 2020 and 133M by 2030. Furthermore, it will take time for 5G network to happen and be rolled out. As 5G propagates, it will be led by enterprise applications.

5G will provide ultra reliable, low latency connectivity.

5G of the future is expected to enable digital tools to solve problems, enhance efficiency and increase productivity over the next decade in areas such as in agriculture productivity. Essentially, according to Steve, a lot of the devices we attribute to science fiction will become reality during the next decade.

AI of Things will enhance user experience.

Intelligence of Things is enhancing the Home (Smart Home).

Over the past ten years, the conversation was about connected things or the Internet of Things. Over the next ten years, the discussion will be connected intelligence things. AI chips in 8K television and smart phone cameras and smart ovens. For example, you put a pizza in a smart oven, the oven recognizes the pizza and adjust the oven temperature and controls the cooking time instead the consumer .

AI in McDonald’s Drive Thru

Manning a drive-thru can be a stressful job. Adding AI to automate part of the task can improve productivity and the delivery of service to the customer.

Human – Machine partnership in which some portion of the task becomes automated to improve customer service. in the case of a fast food restaurant drive-thru, AI machine can take the order and payment; human fulfill the order and provide inter personal service.

Streaming Wars – Abundance of choice and competition

With companies such as Netflix’s and Roku dominating the video streaming, big media corporations, such as Disney, ComcastNBC and AT&T, are striking back by launching their on over the top video streaming services. It appears that big media wants to control relationship with consumer.

Overall, it appears tat the next decade will be dominated by 5G and AI.

Diversity and Inclusion Dividend

During the afternoon, I attended a session called “The Hidden Diversity Dividend”. The essence of the session was that after two decades of conversation about diversity and inclusion in the C-Suite and technology industry, the problem still persists. Over the two decades, progress has been slowed and measured in millimeters.

The excuses of unconscious bias and lack of dedicated effort by senior continue to prevail as major reasons for the lack progress regarding diversity and inclusion of women and people of color.

The panelists stressed that there is a playbook that has been proven to work to solve this problem. And, focus and systematic effort is necessary along with getting industry on board with the program. To end the problem permanently, industry executive leader must:

• Become aware and share the good, bad and ugly regarding the lack of diversity and inclusive
• Except that equality and inclusion are choices; unconscious bias is an excuse.
• Understand that it is not about representation, it is about reflection. It takes hard work and consistently
• Appreciate that it takes critical and systematic change, a Scorecards, Mentoring, and Holding people accountable

Bottomline, consumers must hold companies accountable for their lack of diversity and inclusion in the C-Suite and for perpetuating the good old boys network. Take telecommunications and media company AT&T for example, the projected successor to AT&T CEO Randal Stevenson is a non-diverse majority white male. No women or persons of color were apparently even considered for the top job at communications and media conglomerate.

To change and grow, companies and people must get comfortable with being uncomfortable And to create a more equitable, diverse and inclusive industry, organizations must be willing to change for the better.