Podcast Summary: CES 2025 Tech "Takin' a Walk" with Brian Comiskey

Podcast Information:

• Title: Takin' a Walk
• Host: Buzz Knight, iHeartPodcasts
• Episode: CES 2025 Tech Special with Brian Comiskey from the Consumer Technology Association
• Release Date: January 5, 2025

Introduction

In this special CES 2025 episode of the "Takin' a Walk" podcast, host Buzz Knight welcomes Brian Comiskey, the Senior Director of Innovation for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Together, they delve into the latest technological advancements showcased at CES 2025, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), music's evolving role in media, automotive innovations, and future sustainability trends.

Key Themes at CES 2025

1. Embracing the "All In" Theme

Brian Comiskey highlights the overarching theme of CES 2025: "All In." Companies are fully committing to leveraging new technologies to access broader audiences, enhance their products, and streamline operations. This comprehensive adoption underscores the profound integration of technology across various industries.

2. The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Media

AI remains a dominant force, reshaping how media companies operate and interact with audiences. Comiskey emphasizes three primary pathways where AI is making significant impacts:

• Content Enhancement: Utilizing AI to improve audio and visual quality, ensuring high-fidelity outputs.
• Audience Engagement: Leveraging AI to create immersive and personalized experiences for consumers.
• Operational Efficiency: Streamlining business operations through intelligent automation and data analysis.

Quote: "When thinking about something like artificial intelligence, that's the first guardrail, right? Is what is your use case? What is that doing for someone?" (05:14)

3. Identifying Guardrails for AI Implementation

Comiskey stresses the importance of balancing innovation with necessity. Media companies must ensure that AI serves a clear purpose, enhancing human creativity rather than replacing it. This approach aligns with Keynesian principles, where technology is used to eliminate drudgery, allowing humans to focus on creative endeavors.

Quote: "Technology is supposed to be used to eliminate drudgery so that we can do what humans do best, which is be creative." (05:14)

Music's Therapeutic and Educational Roles

1. Therapeutic Applications of Music

Music's intrinsic ability to influence emotions and physiological states is a focal point at CES 2025. Companies like Alphabeats are pioneering neurofeedback technologies that use personalized music to aid in athletic performance, recovery, relaxation, and focus.

Quote: "How are you using music to actually help athletes in this case perform their very best?" (12:11)

2. Psychoacoustics in Advertising and Marketing

Sirius XM's Studio Resonate team is exploring psychoacoustics—the study of how sound affects human perception—to create audio cues that evoke specific reactions. This technique is evident in memorable brand sounds like Netflix's theme music and Taco Bell's chime.

Quote: "How do you get that sort of space to really use sound and audio cues to evoke a certain type of reaction?" (12:53)

3. Educational Tools Through Music

Music serves as a powerful educational tool, facilitating language learning and cultural immersion. Comiskey references methods where language instruction is paired with native songs, enhancing retention and contextual understanding.

Quote: "Music has a therapeutic and educational role. It's really what are you tapping into at the end of the day?" (15:16)

Automotive Innovations and Mobility at CES 2025

1. Electrification Beyond Cars

Electrification remains a significant trend, extending beyond automobiles to include electric boating technologies showcased by companies like Brunswick. Additionally, advancements in charging infrastructure and sustainable grid solutions are critical topics.

Quote: "When you start introducing new charging technology from exhibitors at the show like Blink charging and LG, you're starting to rethink how the grid is more sustainable." (20:05)

2. Autonomous Vehicles and Sensor Technology

Autonomous vehicles continue to evolve with enhanced sensor technologies that provide comprehensive data for safety, performance, and user experience. The integration of personalized infotainment systems and immersive display technologies also features prominently.

Quote: "How do you get more information onto your car itself? How does it become essentially a software divine vehicle or a smart device on wheels?" (20:05)

3. Industrial Applications of Mobility Technologies

The application of mobility innovations extends to heavy industries, with companies like Kubota, Oshkosh, Deere, and Caterpillar integrating electrification and autonomy into sectors such as mining and construction, enhancing safety and sustainability.

Quote: "How do you take electrification, autonomous capabilities and others and apply it outside the passenger themselves?" (20:05)

Future Trends: Digital Coexistence and Energy Transition

1. Digital Coexistence

Comiskey introduces the concept of "digital coexistence," where digital and physical lives achieve parity. This encompasses seamless integration across AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity, enabling a cohesive ecosystem that supports various aspects of daily life.

Quote: "Our digital lives are getting to the point where they're at parity with our physical lives. So how do technologies like AI, cloud and cyber work to create this sort of ecosystem?" (23:06)

2. Energy Transition and Sustainability

Sustainability remains a critical focus, particularly concerning the energy demands of AI and data centers. Innovations in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, and advancements in cooling technologies are pivotal in reducing the carbon footprint of technological infrastructures.

Quote: "How do you rethink sustainability to really focus on what's called the energy transition?" (23:06)

3. Integration of Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy emerges as a potential solution for the energy transition, offering high energy density and zero emissions. The integration of nuclear technologies is anticipated to play a significant role in future sustainability efforts.

Quote: "How does that, which is a high energy density technology that has zero emissions, get involved in this transition?" (23:06)

Conclusion and Final Insights

Brian Comiskey concludes by emphasizing the interconnectedness of various technological advancements and their collective impact on society. He underscores the importance of understanding historical transitions to navigate future innovations effectively.

Quote: "Technologies often are not innovating in a vacuum. They're not just breaking through in one way or the other." (23:06)

In closing, Buzz Knight thanks Comiskey for his insightful contributions, highlighting the significance of CES 2025 as a nexus for groundbreaking technologies that shape the future of media, mobility, and sustainability.

Notable Quotes:

• "When thinking about something like artificial intelligence, that's the first guardrail, right? Is what is your use case? What is that doing for someone?" (05:14)
• "Technology is supposed to be used to eliminate drudgery so that we can do what humans do best, which is be creative." (05:14)
• "How are you using music to actually help athletes in this case perform their very best?" (12:11)
• "How do you get that sort of space to really use sound and audio cues to evoke a certain type of reaction?" (12:53)
• "Our digital lives are getting to the point where they're at parity with our physical lives. So how do technologies like AI, cloud and cyber work to create this sort of ecosystem?" (23:06)
• "How do you rethink sustainability to really focus on what's called the energy transition?" (23:06)

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights shared by Brian Comiskey during the CES 2025 special episode of "Takin' a Walk." From the strategic implementation of AI in media to the transformative trends in automotive technology and sustainability, the episode provides a forward-looking perspective on the evolving technological landscape.