A Byton M-Byte is on display during the first press day of Germany's International Motor Show (IAA) 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany, on Sept. 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Lu Yang)

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be front and center at the upcoming 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, with exhibitors across all industries unveiling AI solutions, according to the Consumer Technology Association's President and CEO Gary Shapiro.

by Xinhua writer Tan Jingjing

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Artificial intelligence (AI) will be front and center at the upcoming 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

The CES 2020 will be held on Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas, with over 4,500 exhibitors launching nearly 20,000 new transformative tech products to more than 170,000 attendees, according to the CTA, the show's organizer.

"Trends on the show floor will include the latest in 5G and mobile connectivity, vehicle technology, smart cities and digital health," Shapiro said.

AI will be front and center at the show and throughout 2020, with companies across all industries unveiling AI solutions, he noted. "AI will be one of the key 'ingredient technologies' over the next decade, creating customized user experiences and machine learning solutions in smart cities, sports tech, vehicle tech, digital health, robotics and beyond."

The AI and robotics category this year has increased by more than 30 percent in the number of exhibitors and more than 25 percent in its exhibit space over the CES 2019. The dedicated AI Marketplace will feature over 70 exhibitors, while companies across every industry will unveil AI advancements at the CES 2020, according to Shapiro.

He expected new innovations in such sectors as vehicle technology, travel, transportation and health technology at this year's show.

Calling electric vehicles a major trend, Shapiro said the show floor will feature 10 automakers, including two electric vehicle manufacturers -- Byton and Fisker.

The new Travel & Tourism Marketplace will highlight the latest technology revolutionizing the consumer travel experience, he said, adding that Delta Air Lines' CEO Ed Bastian will deliver a keynote speech, the first-ever by an airline at the show.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao will also keynote at the CES 2020 to share new initiatives for the industry to help improve public safety, according to Shapiro.

"With advance in digital therapeutics, wearables, remote patient monitoring and more, digital health innovations at the CES 2020 will address real world issues like opioid dependence, mental illness and chronic disease," Shapiro said.

This year the health and wellness category will feature 145 exhibitors, a 25 percent increase over 2019.

According to Shapiro, top Chinese companies, including Byton, Changhong, DJI, Haier, Hisense, Huawei, Konka, Lenovo, Segway, TCL and ZTE, are returning to the CES 2020.

"Chinese companies are increasingly innovative," he said.

The CES 2020 will feature new and expanded exhibit areas, 300 conference sessions with 1,100 speakers, and more than 1,200 startups from over 45 countries. Some 1,550 new exhibitors will join this year's show, according to the CTA. ■