You’ve already read about “CES’ top 10 coolest gadgets” and “the best technology for 2017” at CES. Authors, editors and attendees have already connected the dots on what each new technology means for our lives and its impact on consumerism; but I saw something different. I saw an unmatched level of optimism.
Amidst the chaos of half-mile taxi lines, impossible restaurant reservations and Steve Aoki playing to a crowd that barely knows who he is, I must have heard 15 different languages, each of which emanated a certain tone of excitement and anticipation. Even if I couldn't understand 14 of the dialects, I could hear the recognizable ping of hope in their voices. I believe technology advancement represents humanity at its very best. It seeks to find ways to make our lives better and allows us to do more in our lives like spend time on the people and things we really love.
Some have said, and will continue to say, that all of this innovation and technology is a distraction from what is really wrong with our world and our (meaning the business collective) constant pursuit of better consumerism. I can’t totally argue with that viewpoint, however I choose to see the positive side of innovation. What I saw was global ingenuity coming together to share in the excitement and hope of what the future holds. I watched executives, old and new, enjoy the overwhelming volume of inventions and learn from each business, maker or attendee. I watched people reconnecting with their youth as they wore a VR mask or played 3D video games on the show floor. In some ways, this show allows us to recapture that feeling we had when we held an Atari or Walkman for the first time. Optimism persevered in the voices of the artificial intelligence, too. I even detected it on the faces of the robots designed to engage humans.
My favorite moment at the show was experiencing Steve Wynn talk at an Instagram event. His stories about his vision and the principles on which he built his empire were inspiring. And he reminded me about something I also truly believe in; human nature is about destruction and reinvention in all its forms. And at CES, that could not be more evident. Humans constantly seek ways to be more comfortable, happier or more in tune with our souls and surroundings. The technology advancements in 2017, for the most part, help achieve that. Think about it; smart cars become one with us as we drive them (or they drive us), and the machine learning bots and AI integrated into our appliances learn about our preferences, quirks and desires.
This gravitational pull of optimism has expanded CES to 170,000 attendees –more people than my first visit 10 years ago. Many attendees aren’t even in the technology business; including yours truly. In fact, I watched the progression happen as advertising and marketing businesses began to attend the show. Ad agencies followed their clients, the press followed and then the media platforms seeking advertising dollars quickly thereafter.
What were they all being pulled toward? A sense of belonging to something bigger; a global initiative to make the world a better place and draw out the best in people. I look forward to it every winter. See you next year, CES.