If you’re involved in an email conversation in Microsoft Outlook and you want a fast and easy way to introduce other colleagues to certain parts of your message without having to start a new conversation, here’s how:

In the body of your email, type the ‘@’ symbol followed by the person’s name (their email address will be displayed if you’ve been in contact with them).

The mentioned person’s name will be highlighted, and they will also receive a notification that they’ve been mentioned in the email, enabling them to join in.

Following many legal challenges to AI companies about copyrighted content being scraped and used to train their AI models (without consent or payment), a new certification for copyright-compliant AI has been launched.

The Issue 

As highlighted in the recent case of the New York Times suing OpenAI over the alleged training of its AI on New York Times articles without permission for free (with the likelihood of a ‘fair use’ claim in defence), how AI companies train their models is now a big issue.

The organisation ‘Fairly Trained’ says that its new Licensed Model certification is intended to highlight this difference between AI companies who scrape data (and claim fair usage) and AI companies who license it, thereby getting permission and pay for training data (i.e. they choose to do so for ethical and legal reasons). As Fairly Trained’s CEO, Ed Newton-Rex says: “You’ve got a bunch of people who want to use licenced models and you’ve got a bunch of people who are providing those. I didn’t see any way of being able to tell them apart” 

Fairly Trained says it hopes its certification will “reinforce the principle that rights-holder consent is needed for generative AI training.” 

Fairly Trained – The Certification Initiative

The non-profit ‘Fairly Trained’ initiative has introduced a Licensed Model (L) certification for AI providers that can be obtained by (awarded to) any generative AI model that doesn’t use any copyrighted work without a licence.

Who? 

Fairly Trained says the certification can go to “any company, organisation, or product that makes generative AI models or services available” and meets certain criteria.

The Criteria  

The main criteria for the certification includes:

– The data used for the model(s) must be explicitly provided to the model developer for the purposes of being used as training data, or available under an open license appropriate to the use-case, or in the public domain globally, or fully owned by the model developer.

– There must be a “robust process for conducting due diligence into the training data,” including checks into the rights position of the training data provider.

– There must also be a robust process for keeping records of the training data that was used for each model training.

The Price 

In addition to meeting the criteria, AI companies will also have to pay for their certification. The price is based on an organisation’s annual revenue and ranges from $150 submission fee and $500 annual certification fee for an organisation with a $100k annual revenue to a $500 submission fee and $6,000 annual certification fee for an organisation with a $10M annual revenue.

What If The Company Changes Its Training Data Practices? 

If an organisation acquires the certification and then changes its data practices afterwards (i.e. it no longer meets the criteria), Fairly Trained says it is up to that organisation to inform Fairly Trained of the change, which suggests that there’s no pro-active checking in place. Fairly Trained does, however, say it reserves the right to withdraw certification without reimbursement if “new information comes to light” that shows an organisation no longer meets the criteria.

None Would Meet The Criteria For Text 

Although Fairly Trained accepts that its certification scheme is not an end to the debate over what creator consent should look like, the scheme does appear to have one significant flaw at the moment.

As Fairly Trained’s CEO, Ed Newton-Rex has acknowledged, it’s unlikely that any of the major text generation models could currently get certified because they have been trained upon a large amount of copyrighted work, i.e. even ChatGPT is unlikely to meet the criteria.

The AI companies argue, however, that they have had little choice but to do so because copyright protection seems to cover so many different things including blog and forum posts, photos, code, government documents, and more.

Alternative? 

Mr Newton-Rex has been reported as saying he’s hopeful that there will be models (in future) that are trained on a small amount of data and end up being licensed, and that there may also be other alternatives. Examples of some ways AI models could be trained without using copyrighted material (but probably not without consent) include:

– Using open datasets that are explicitly marked for free use, modification, and distribution. These can include government datasets, datasets released by academic institutions, or datasets available through platforms like Kaggle (provided their licenses permit such use).

– Using works that have entered the public domain, meaning copyright no longer applies. This includes many classic literary works, historical documents, and artworks. Generating synthetic data using algorithms. This could include text, images, and other media. Generative models can create new, original images based on certain parameters or styles (but could arguably still allow copyrighted styles to creep in).

– Using crowdsourcing and user contribution, i.e. contributions from users under an open license.

– Using data from sources that have been released under Creative Commons or other licenses that allow for reuse, sometimes with certain conditions (like attribution or non-commercial use).

– Partnering / collaboratiing with artists, musicians, and other creators to generate original content specifically for training the AI. This can also involve contractual agreements where the rights for AI training are clearly defined.

– Using web scraping but with strict filters to only collect data from pages that explicitly indicate the content is freely available or licensed for reuse.

Collaboration and Agreements 

Alternatively, AI companies could choose to partner with artists, musicians, and other creators to generate original content (using contractual agreements) specifically for training the AI. Also, they could choose to Enter into agreements with organisations or individuals to use private or proprietary data, ensuring that the terms of use permit AI training.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

It’s possible to see both sides of the argument to a degree. For example, so many things are copyrighted and AI companies such as OpenAI with ChatGPT wouldn’t have been able to create and get a reasonable generative AI chatbot out there if it had to get consent from everyone for everything and pay for all the licenses needed.

On the other hand, it’s understandable that creatives such as artists or journalistic sources such as the New York Times are angry that their output may have been used for free (with no permission) to train an LLM and thereby create the source of its value that it may then charge users for. Although the idea of providing a way to differentiate between AI companies that had paid and acquired permission (i.e. acted ethically for their training content sounds like a fair idea), the fact that the LLMs from the main AI companies (including ChatGPT) may not even meet the criteria does make it sound a little self-defeating and potentially not that useful for the time being.

Also, some would say that relying upon companies to admit when they may have changed their AI training practices and potentially lose the certification they’ve paid for (when Fairly Trained isn’t checking anyway) may also sound as though this may not work. All that said, there are other possible alternatives (as mentioned above) that could require consent and organisations working together that could result in useful, trained LLMs without copyright headaches.

Although the Fairly Trained scheme sounds reasonable, Fairly Trained admits that it’s not a definitive answer to the problem. It’s probably more likely that the outcomes of the many lawsuits will help shape how AI companies act as regards training their LLMs in the near future.

New research from Gartner has predicted that global IT spending this year will reach $5 trillion and IT spending growth will be more than double that of 2023.

A First – Spending More On IT Than Communications 

In its IT spending forecast, Gartner predicts that the massive $5 trillion global spend means that spending on IT services will surpass communications services spending for the first time.

Spending Growth More Than Double 

Another standout figure from the forecast is that the IT spending growth rate of 6.8 per cent in 2024 will be more than double that of the 3.3 per rate in 2023. These key spending and growth figures (even though the 6.8 figure is less than the 8 per cent forecasted the previous quarter) indicate that despite fears of a slowing IT sector, things are very much looking up for the year ahead.

The Largest Spending Segment 

In fact, Gartner forecasts that with spending on IT services is expected to grow 8.7 per cent this year in 2024, reaching $1.5 trillion, IT services spending will become the largest segment of IT spending, even above that of the communications and software sectors.

Gartner says the reason for this IT services growth is mainly due to enterprises investing in organisational efficiency and optimisation projects as these types of investments could be crucial during this period of economic uncertainty.

For example, as John-David Lovelock, VP Analyst at Gartner explains it: “Adoption rates among consumers for devices and communications services plateaued over a decade ago. Consumer spending levels are primarily driven by price changes and replacement cycles, leaving room for only incremental growths, so being surpassed by software and services was inevitable.” 

What About AI?

Although generative AI is essentially the next industrial revolution, it is still relatively new and hasn’t made much impact on near-term IT spending. Gartner suggests that the reason for this is that it “blindsided organisations and boards,” meaning that CIOs are being cautious with their spending.

Therefore, it’s likely that 2024 will be the year of planning for Generative AI, but IT spending will be driven by more traditional forces e.g., profitability, labour, and “a wave of change fatigue”. 

What Is ‘Change Fatigue’ ? 

Change fatigue refers to the resistance or passive resignation that employees may feel towards organisational changes, leading to symptoms such as apathy, resistance, passive resignation, frustration, and burnout.

The thinking is that pandemic-related disruption to work in recent years, combined with factors like turbulent economic conditions, rapid digitisation, and the sheer volume of changes have led to employees’ ability to cope with change dropping to 50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Gartner attributes the fact that the overall IT spending growth rate for 2023 was 3.3 per cent, only a 0.3 per cent increase from 2022 to “fatigue among CIOs”. 

Could Lead To Change Resistance 

It is thought that one of the effects of change fatigue is that it could have a negative effect on IT spending by causing “change resistance” among CIOs, i.e. CIOs hesitating to sign new contracts or to commit to long-term initiatives, or to take on new technology partners. This change fatigue and resistance may mean that CIOs will be looking for higher levels of risk mitigation and greater certainty of outcomes before committing to new initiatives.

MSP Budgets Up Due To Surging Demand 

Another indicator of a healthy IT sector in 2024 is given by new research from ETB Technologies which shows that MSP budgets are up a massive 70 per cent due to surging enterprise demand. The research, based on the answers of 250 leading MSP figures on current trends around spending, found that 80 per cent have increased their spending and 67 per cent have doubled their budget size.

The research attributes these figures to the impact of world events in recent years, e.g. the pandemic, Brexit, geopolitical and economic turbulence, climate change, and supply chain disruptions, leading to an “almost universal shift” towards a hybrid cloud-based strategy. This type of cloud strategy is where an organisation uses a mix of on-premises, private cloud, and public cloud services with orchestration between the platforms. This is likely to be more preferred in these uncertain times because it allows businesses to balance the need for security and control with the flexibility and scalability of cloud services (and it’s cost effective).

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

As highlighted in Gartner’s forecast, although the IT sector has a healthy outlook with a doubling of growth in the IT spending rate, economic uncertainty is leading to enterprises investing in organisational efficiency and optimisation projects. This, in turn, is one of the main reasons why IT services spending is set to surge this year (higher than communications spending). Although the AI revolution is bringing massive change, it seems the fact that it may have ‘blindsided’ CIOs means that it won’t account for a large amount of IT spending this year, but 2024 will be a year for AI planning instead. This means that IT spending in 2024 will be driven by more traditional forces.

However, the issue of change fatigue among IT spending decision-makers does look set to make them more cautious and could have a downward effect on IT spending this year. This could mean that organisations need to work on trying to understand the factors contributing to change fatigue and employing targeted strategies to help alleviate the adverse effects. On the upside in the world of MSPs, surging demand for hybrid cloud-based solutions is necessitating major increases in budgets and spending.

Overall, 2024 looks like becoming a good year for IT services spending and although the AI revolution is here, we’re still more at the planning than spending stage, so it’s a case of waiting a little longer before AI makes a major impact in spending figures.

Work has started on Google’s first UK data centre which will cost $1 billion (£790m), will add to Google’s 27 data centres worldwide, and will support its move into AI.

Crucial Compute Capacity 

The data centre is being built on a 33-acre site at Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. In addition to the construction and technical jobs that Google says the building work will bring to the local community, Google says its investment in the data centre will deliver “crucial compute capacity to businesses across the UK, supporting AI innovation and helping to ensure reliable digital services to Google Cloud customers and Google users in the UK and abroad.” 

Google says that its investment in the technical infrastructure needed to support innovation and tech-led growth in areas like AI-powered technologies is vital, hence the new data centre.

Off-Site Heat Recovery 

Google is also keen to highlight how the data centre’s carbon footprint will be minimised. For example, in addition to the company’s goal to run all its data centres and campuses completely on carbon-free energy (CFE) by 2030, it says the new data centre in Hertfordshire will “have provisions for off-site heat recovery”. 

Data centres produce large amounts of heat and so an off-site heat recovery system is a way for energy conservation that benefits the local community through capturing the heat generated by the data centre and using it in nearby homes and businesses. Google also says the data centre will have an air-based cooling system, presumably rather than a water-based one.

Part Of A Continued UK Investment 

Google has highlighted how the new data centre is part of its continued investment in and commitment to the UK which it says is “a key country for our business and a pioneering world leader in AI, technology and science.”

Other recent Google investments in the UK (in 2022) include:

– A $1bn purchase of our Central Saint Giles office in London’s West End.

– A 1 million sq. ft. Office and local innovation hub in King’s Cross.

– The launch of an Accessibility Discovery Centre in London, aimed at boosting accessible tech in the UK.

Google is also keen to highlight its free digital skills training, offered across the UK since 2015, and the expansion of its Digital Garage training programme in the UK (including a new AI-focussed curriculum).

UK Government Pleased 

Prime Minister Sunak, who’s been keen to woo big tech companies to the UK to support its ambitions to be a major global tech centre, has welcomed Google’s $1 billion data centre investment as an endorsement of this. He also highlighted how such “foreign investment creates jobs and grows all regions of our economy and investments like this will help to drive growth in the decade ahead.”  

Also, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, has expressed that he is “delighted to see this investment from Google” and that it ”reflects the success of the UK tech sector, which is now the third largest in the world after the US and China – worth over $1trillion and double the size of anywhere else in Europe.” 

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

The growth of cloud computing followed by the rapid growth of AI, which has a much bigger demand for computing power, plus the move by competitors into AI (Microsoft has announced an impending £2.5bn to expand data centres for AI across the UK) are key drivers for Google’s new UK data centre investment. The infrastructure is needed to support the AI which will in turn help boost productivity, creativity, and opportunities for UK businesses, and Google’s investment in the UK is good for job creation, boosting the economy, and bolstering the UK’s ambitions for being a tech centre.

However, Google is also reported to have been laying off many workers as it slims down to accommodate AI and, although the immediate community around Waltham Cross may benefit from some low-cost/free heat, there are other matters to bear in mind. For example, AI is an energy and thirsty technology and although there’s an ambition to run its data centres on carbon-free energy (CFE) by 2030, the Waltham Cross data centre should be finished and running by 2025. Like other data centres, it will still require huge amounts of energy (it shouldn’t need water too because it’s to be air-cooled), which is a matter that hasn’t been highlighted in the announcement about the investment so far. The impact on the local grid and environment, and the impact on the environment of the build itself may also be of concern.

That said, work is only just starting, more data centres are needed to fuel our AI-powered future, and there are no other good alternatives to this kind of expansion as yet so for UK businesses, the investment in the UK and its benefits are being welcomed.

A new review of existing research, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), warns that video gamers who are listening to high-intensity sound levels for long periods of time may be risking permanent hearing loss and tinnitus.

Overlooked Area 

Whereas headphones, earbuds, and music venues have been recognised as sources of potentially unsafe sound levels, the review of available research, conducted by a team including experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the University of South Carolina, has focused on the overlooked area of the effects of video games, including e-sports, on hearing loss.

Video Gamers – Sound Exceeding Safe Limits 

The researchers conducting the review concluded that sound levels reported in studies of video of more than 50,000 video gamers often near (or exceed) permissible safe limits. Given that there are an estimated 3 billion gamers worldwide in 2022, the research, the researchers feel that greater public health efforts are needed to raise awareness of the potential risks.

What’s The Cause?

The researchers say that the hearing loss and tinnitus risks are the result of video gamers often playing at high-intensity sound levels and for several hours at a time. For example, after reviewing 14 studies from 9 countries, researchers found reported sound levels ranged from 43.2 decibels (dB) (mobile devices) up to 80-89 dB (gaming centres). Impulse sounds in some games were also found to have reached levels as high as 119 dB during game-play, and the researchers also found that the length of noise exposure varied by mode and frequency of access from least an hour at a time to an averaging of 3 hours/week.

The Role of Headphones 

The role of headphones in hearing damage risk to gamers was also highlighted by the researchers. For example, in one piece of source research, the author concluded that gaming headphones can reach unsafe listening levels, “which could place some gamers at risk of sound-induced hearing loss.” 

The researchers also highlighted studies such as:

– One study where the sound levels of 5 video games through headphones attached to the gaming console, were found to average 88.5, 87.6, 85.6 and 91.2 dB for 4 separate shooter games, and 85.6 dB for a racing game.

– One study reported that over 10 million people in the USA may be exposed to ‘loud’ or ‘very loud’ sound levels from video or computer games.

What’s Are The Permissible Levels? 

Permissible exposure limits to impulse sounds in video games (less than 1 second) are around 100 dB for children and 130–140 dB for adults. Also, the permissible noise exposure level for children is defined as 75 dB for 40 hours a week. Therefore, the researchers concluded that the daily level of sound exposure from video games is close to maximum permissible levels of sound exposure

What’s The Risk? 

Five studies reviewed by the researchers looked at associations between gaming and self-reported hearing loss, hearing thresholds, or tinnitus. Of these 5, 2 studies found that school pupils’ gaming centre usage was linked to increased odds of severe tinnitus and high-frequency sound hearing loss in both ears. Another large observational study also reported that video gaming was associated with increased odds of self-reported hearing loss severity.

Tinnitus is a condition characterised by hearing ringing, buzzing, or other noises in the ears and although, for some, it may be a mild background noise, for others, it can lead to concentration difficulties, sleep problems, and significant distress, affecting emotional well-being and quality of life.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

Although gaming is a huge industry supported by 3 billion gamers worldwide (2022), the alleged negative aspects of video games have been the source of news stories, including social withdrawal, aggressive behaviour or desensitisation to violence, mental health concerns, addiction and more. This new review of existing studies adds the risk of hearing loss or tinnitus caused by prolonged exposure to loud video games while wearing headphones to the list. It highlights not just an overlooked area of risk in a much focused-on activity, but also the danger of unsafe listening practices, and perhaps an area where games producers need to study how they reduce the risk, such as changing aspects of the games, educating the gaming community, and more.

It’s been noted that there are, however, still several key gaps in the available evidence about a possible link between hearing damage and gaming, e.g. the impact of esports, geographic region, sex, and age, and that further research may now be essential to inform preventive measures and global policy initiatives. As the researchers conclude, the findings suggest “interventions” may now be needed, e.g. initiatives focused on education and awareness of the potential risks of gaming that can help promote safe listening among gamers.

However, for gamers (who mostly play in the confines of their own room, i.e. in an unmonitored and unregulated environment) and who may be caught up in the game and in competition with others, physical-risk may be the last thing on their minds. This is also often the case in competitive sports which, although more beneficial to overall health, also bring the risk of serious, lasting physical injury.

The risk of hearing damage when listening to music (such as at home, at concerts, or in clubs) is also a source of risk, particularly to hearing which has long been highlighted but is routinely ignored by music fans. That said, the news of the findings of this review has, however, raised some awareness about this overlooked risk of video games and prompted conversations about what needs to be done to help. It’s worth noting here that despite these legitimate concerns about hearing, and the other negative aspects of video gaming, there is also research to suggest that video gaming (at a sensible volume) offers many benefits, including cognitive development, improved coordination and motor skills, stress relief, and more.

It’s been reported that The European Commission is now seeking feedback from Apple’s rivals and customers over concessions agreed by Apple relating to its tap-and-go mobile payment systems, based on the independent technology called Near-Field Communication (NFC).

Following an antitrust investigation and the threat of a fine, Apple had agreed to open up these systems to third-party developers for their own apps, which would work independently from the Apple ones. This would make it easier for rivals to develop other payment options for iOS-based devices and compete with Apple Pay and Wallet apps.

Rivals and customers have one month to come back with their feedback. Apple has assured them (and the regulators) that it would stick to its agreed concessions saying: “We have offered commitments to provide third-party developers in the European Economic Area with an option that will enable their users to make NFC contactless payments from within their iOS apps, separate from Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.” 

AI company Anthropic has published a research paper highlighting how large language models (LLMs) can be subverted so that at a certain point, they start emitting maliciously crafted source code.

For example, this could involve training a model to write secure code when the prompt states that the year is 2024 but insert exploitable code when the stated year is 2025.

The paper likened the backdoored behaviour to having a kind of “sleeper agent” waiting inside an LLM. With these kinds of backdoors not yet fully understood, the researchers have identified them as a real threat and have highlighted how detecting and removing them is likely to be very challenging.

A new AI tool called GNoME from Google’s DeepMind artificial intelligence lab has reportedly discovered and contributed nearly 380,000 new compounds to the Materials Project, the open-access database founded at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).

GNoME 

The Graph Networks for Materials Exploration (GNoME), is an AI-powered deep learning tool and a state-of-the-art graph neural network (GNN) model. Originally trained with data on crystal structures and their stability, it is particularly suited to discovering new crystalline materials.

Why Is Finding New Crystalline Materials So Important? 

As Google’s DeepMind says: “Modern technologies from computer chips and batteries to solar panels rely on inorganic crystals. To enable new technologies, crystals must be stable otherwise they can decompose, and behind each new, stable crystal can be months of painstaking experimentation.” 

380,000 New Stable Materials Discovered  

DeepMind reports that using its GNoME AI model, not only has it discovered 2.2 million new crystals (the equivalent to nearly 800 years’ worth of knowledge) but has identified 380,000 of these as being the most stable, making them promising candidates for experimental synthesis.

Faster And Cheaper Than Past Methods 

As DeepMind has highlighted, the traditional methods of scientists searching for novel crystal structures have been adjusting known crystals or experimenting with new combinations of elements. These methods have proven to be an expensive, trial-and-error processes that could take months to deliver limited results. Using the GNoME AI model, therefore, has dramatically speeded up and reduced the cost of this process.

Work Already Under Way On The New Materials 

Google says that researchers in labs around the world have already independently created 736 of the newly discovered structures as part of experimental work. Also, in partnership with Google DeepMind, researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have published a paper showing how the AI discoveries can be leveraged for autonomous material synthesis.

What Does This Mean For Your Organisation? 

Many essential modern technologies rely on a supply of stable inorganic crystals, e.g. for computer chips, batteries, and solar panels. However, up until now, old methods of finding these crystals have involved time-consuming and expensive trial-and error process. Having an AI tool like GNoME has dramatically increased the speed and efficiency of discovery by predicting the stability of new materials. In doing so, it has demonstrated the potential of using AI to discover and develop new materials.

This could mean that AI models (such as GNoME) have the potential to develop a range of future transformative technologies which could include superconductors, powering supercomputers, and next-generation batteries to boost the efficiency of electric vehicles. Also, Google DeepMind releasing its database of newly discovered crystals to the research community could reduce development times for these new transformative technologies.

This could benefit society and businesses (new opportunities and new industries) as well as contributing to achieving environmental targets and improving sustainability by accelerating the development green technologies.

Jot down ideas, to-do lists, or important reminders for yourself using Sticky Notes in Microsoft Windows. This simple but effective tool allows you to place virtual notes on your desktop, freeing you from paper notes that can get lost, and ensuring you don’t forget critical tasks or information. Here’s how it works:

– To open Sticky Notes in Windows, press Win + S and type ‘Sticky Notes’, then press Enter.

– To create a new note click on the ‘+’ icon.

– Write your note.

– To organise your notes, drag to reposition them on the desktop or resize them for better visibility.

– To personalise and categorise your notes, choose different colours e.g., to organise by topic or priority.

Following the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week, we take a look at some of the more novel and fun gadgets (and claims from the show) and what lessons businesses can take away from this year’s event.

CES

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which this year took place in Las Vegas (from January 9th to 12th) once again acted as a global stage for tech innovation and a glimpse of things to come. It’s a place where industry leaders, startups, and tech enthusiasts converge to showcase and witness the latest advancements and future trends in technology and which sets the tone for the tech industry each year. Among the more ‘serious’ products, however, the show features many fun/novel and more left-field gadgets and claims. Here’s some standout examples of these from CES 2024.

LG’s Smart Home AI Agent. This AI device (a kind of robotic home manager) transcends traditional smart home functions. It’s capable of engaging in meaningful conversations, providing reminders for medication, and even contacting emergency services if needed, showcasing a new level of AI integration in home management. The Smart Home AI Agent is an example of a product that fits LG’s vision of a “zero-labour home”, something that many of us can only dream about!

For those who want to keep their conversations secret, how about Skyted’s Mobility Privacy Mask? This innovative gadget is essentially a Bluetooth-enabled face mask yet it’s designed to absorb voice frequencies, thereby ensuring private conversations in public spaces. The potential applications for the device highlighted by the company include conversations in public spaces, while travelling (for frequent travellers or regular commuters), plus those working in aeroplanes, in and in offices or call centres. It’s an interesting idea which highlights a growing demand for privacy in our increasingly connected world.

GlüxKind’s AI-powered Stroller (Pram), Ella. This gadget is a step forward (or a roll forward) in making the life of modern, connected parents that bit easier. It’s a pram that offers hands-free operation, automatic stopping on inclines, and a gentle rocking feature for the baby. Its built-in white noise machine adds another layer of innovation, showcasing how parenting can be assisted by smart technology.

The WeHead GPT Edition is an AI-powered head with a face that gives ChatGPT a physical form, providing a unique interactive experience. Some have criticised the face for appearing to be a little emotionless when it talks. It’s been designed for brainstorming and idea generation, and it represents an intriguing (some have said creepy) blend of virtual and physical AI interfaces.

Rabbit’s R1 Pocket AI Assistant. Developed by Teenage Engineering, this ($200) handheld AI assistant with a 2.88-inch touchscreen navigates smartphone apps on command, simplifying tasks like ordering food or managing apps. It operates on a language action model, pushing the boundaries of how we interact with our digital devices.

French startup MolluSCAN’s Smart Molluscs is a novel, environmentally-focused technology that uses sensors literally upon molluscs to monitor water quality and pollution. It represents a highly innovative approach to environmental monitoring, combining biology with technology.

For those who remember how some TVs used to fold into cabinets and be disguised as home furniture, SEED’s N1 Folding TV takes things quite a few steps further. This innovative TV transitions itself from a large 137-inch screen to a sleek sculpture. The seamless MicroLED panels provide an uninterrupted viewing experience, reflecting the fusion of technology and art.

On the subject of TVs, how about one you can’t see at all? Samsung’s Transparent TV can blend in with the background of your room when not in use, so it looks like a transparent piece of glass in a frame! The design uses Micro LED technology which Samsung says makes “the line between content and reality virtually indistinguishable.”

In the health industry, ADAM-X by Medical-X is essentially a robot patient that simulates a wide range of medical scenarios and reacts how a live patient would react, providing real-time feedback to trainees. It also has simulated bodily fluids. This advanced CPR dummy is designed for medical training and is a good example of how technology is enhancing medical training with lifelike simulations.

Again, in the health domain, the BMind AI-Powered Smart Mirror by Baracoda is a smart mirror that acts as a mental wellness health companion. For example, this mirror not only reflects your image but also gauges your mood using AI. It can engage in conversations, provide meditation exercises, and even offers light therapy, marking a new era in personal wellness technology.

The Clicks Technology’s BlackBerry-style iPhone Keyboard attachment transforms an iPhone into a device reminiscent of the BlackBerry era. It provides a tactile typing experience while liberating screen space, blending nostalgia with modern smartphone functionality.

Sound Drive’s Dynamic Sound Mixing, created by Will.i.am’s startup, is a system that adjusts your car’s music based on your driving speed and conditions. It dynamically mixes the music, adding or dropping lyrics as needed, to match the energy of your drive.

How about having a conversation with your bathroom furniture? A step too far? Not in the case of Kohler’s PureWash E930 Bidet Seat which features voice command capabilities. It allows users to control various functions such as activating the spray or dryer, or using its self-cleaning UV feature, all through voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. Just be careful not to say the wrong thing at the wrong time!

One novel piece of tech for pets presented at CES this year was the ‘Flappie,’ the AI-powered cat flap, described as “world’s most intelligent” cat flap.  Flappie uses cameras and AI to prevent unwanted visitors from following your pet indoors. It’s designed to recognise your cat and distinguish it from other animals, ensuring that only your pet has access. This product reflects the increasing use of AI in everyday household items, offering convenience and problem-solving in unexpected areas.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

It seems that CES 2024 has demonstrated how technology is becoming increasingly intertwined with every aspect of our lives. From smart-home advancements to groundbreaking developments in environmental monitoring and healthcare, even the more novel tech innovations offer a glimpse into a future where technology enhances and simplifies our daily experiences.

For UK businesses, these trends underscore the importance of embracing innovation, focusing on user experience, and exploring eco-friendly technologies. They also highlight how the integration of AI is changing everything and opening up so many more opportunities and avenues for product innovation and enhancement. The gadgets and AI advancements from CES 2024, therefore, not only reflect the current state of technology but also offer a roadmap for future developments. UK businesses can learn from these innovations to identify new opportunities, meet emerging consumer needs, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving global tech landscape.

Although this selection focuses on the more novel and unusual gadgets, the key general takeaway from CES 2024 could be that the future is not just about technology for its own sake, but technology that enriches, simplifies, and adds value to our everyday lives.