 |
|
|
|||||
In a vision of the near future shared at CES, a girl slides into the back seat of her parents’ car and the cabin instantly comes alive. The vehicle recognizes her, knows its her birthday and cues up her favorite song without a word spoken. Think of the car as having a soul and being an extension of your family, Sri Subramanian, Nvidia’s global head of generative AI for automotive, said Tuesday. Subramanian’s example, shared with a CES audience on the show’s opening day in Las Vegas, illustrates the growing sophistication of AI-powered in-cabin systems and the expanding scope of personal data that smart vehicles may collect, retain, and use to shape the driving experience. Across the show floor, the car emerged less as a machine and more as a companion as automakers and tech companies showcased vehicles that can adapt to drivers and passengers in real time from tracking heart rates and emotions to alerting if a baby or young child is accidentally left in the car. Bosch debuted its new AI vehicle extension that aims to turn the cabin into a proactive companion. Nvidia, the poster child of the AI boom, announced Alpamayo, its new vehicle AI initiative designed to help autonomous cars think through complex driving decisions. CEO Jensen Huang called it a ChatGPT moment for physical AI. But experts say the push toward a more personalized driving experience is intensifying questions about how much driver data is being collected. The magic of AI should not just mean all privacy and security protections are off, said Justin Brookman, director of marketplace policy at Consumer Reports. Unlike smartphones or online platforms, cars have only recently become major repositories of personal data, Brookman said. As a result, the industry is still trying to establish the rules of the road for what automakers and tech companies are allowed to do with driver data. That uncertainty is compounded by the uniquely personal nature of cars, Brookman said. Many people see their vehicles as an extension of themselves or even their homes which he said can make the presence of cameras, microphones, and other monitoring tools feel especially invasive. Sometimes privacy issues are difficult for folks to internalize, he said. People generally feel they wish they had more privacy but also dont necessarily know what they can do to address it. At the same time, Brookman said, many of these technologies offer real safety benefits for drivers and can be good for the consumer. On the CES show floor, some of those conveniences were on display at automotive supplier Gentexs booth, where attendees sat in a mock six-seater van in front of large screens demonstrating how closely the companys AI-equipped sensors and cameras could monitor a driver and passengers. Are they sleepy? Are they drowsy? Are they not seated properly? Are they eating, talking on phones? Are they angry? You name it, we can figure out how to detect that in the cabin, said Brian Brackenbury, director of product line management at Gentex. Brackenbury said it’s ultimately up to the car manufacturers to decide how the vehicle reacts to the data that’s collected, which he said is stored in the car and deleted after the video frames, for example, have been processed. “ One of the mantras we have at Gentex is we’re not going to do it just because we can, just because the technology allows it, Brackebury said, adding that data privacy is really important. Rio Yamat, AP airlines and travel writer
Category:
E-Commerce
China escalated its trade tensions with Japan on Wednesday by launching an investigation into imported dichlorosilane, a chemical gas used in making semiconductors, a day after it imposed curbs on the export of so-called dual-use goods that could be used by Japan’s military.The Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement that it had launched the investigation following an application from the domestic industry showing the price of dichlorosilane imported from Japan had decreased 31% between 2022 and 2024.“The dumping of imported products from Japan has damaged the production and operation of our domestic industry,” the ministry said.The measure comes a day after Beijing banned exports to Japan of dual-use goods that can have military applications.Beijing has been showing mounting displeasure with Tokyo after new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested late last year that her nation’s military could intervene if China were to take action against Taiwan an island democracy that Beijing considers its own territory.Tensions were stoked again on Tuesday when Japanese lawmaker Hei Seki, who last year was sanctioned by China for “spreading fallacies” about Taiwan and other disputed territories, visited Taiwan and called it an independent country. Also known as Yo Kitano, he has been banned from entering China. He told reporters that his arrival in Taiwan demonstrated the two are “different countries.”“I came to Taiwan to prove this point, and to tell the world that Taiwan is an independent country,” Hei Seki said, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.“The nasty words of a petty villain like him are not worth commenting on,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning retorted when asked about his comment. Fears of a rare earths curb Masaaki Kanai, head of Asia Oceanian Affairs at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, urged China to scrap the trade curbs, saying a measure exclusively targeting Japan that deviates from international practice is unacceptable. Japan, however, has yet to announce any retaliatory measures.As the two countries feuded, speculation rose that China might target rare earths exports to Japan, in a move similar to the rounds of critical minerals export restrictions it has imposed as part of its trade war with the United States.China controls most of the global production of heavy rare earths, used for making powerful, heat-resistant magnets used in industries such as defense and electric vehicles.While the Commerce Ministry did not mention any new rare earths curbs, the official newspaper China Daily, seen as a government mouthpiece, quoted anonymous sources saying Beijing was considering tightening exports of certain rare earths to Japan. That report could not be independently confirmed. Improved South Korean ties contrast with Japan row As Beijing spars with Tokyo, it has made a point of courting a different East Asian power South Korea.On Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wrapped up a four-day trip to China his first since taking office in June. Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping oversaw the signing of cooperation agreements in areas such as technology, trade, transportation and environmental protection.As if to illustrate a contrast with the China-Japan trade frictions, Lee joined two business events at which major South Korean and Chinese companies pledged to collaborate.The two sides signed 24 export contracts worth a combined $44 million, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.During Lee’s visit, Chinese media also reported that South Korea overtook Japan as the leading destination for outbound flights from China’s mainland over the New Year’s holiday.China has been discouraging travel to Japan, saying Japanese leaders’ comments on Taiwan have created “significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan.” Simina Mistreanu, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
The worlds largest tech showcase does not come without theatrics. Innovations and gadgets like a lollipop that sings to you as you consume it, a laundry-folding robot, and a smart LEGO brick have stolen the spotlight so far at CES 2026. But underscoring this years programming is a strong focus on an industry that relies on a similar theatrical flair: entertainment. More than 25 different panels and events related to the entertainment industry are on the schedule in Las Vegas, focusing on both the traditional studio side of the industry and the digital side driven by content creators. The programming has posed questions about the cinematic capabilities of AI, how advertising has been impacted by AI, and the role the burgeoning creator economy plays in the larger entertainment landscape. Artificial intelligence has long been a sticking point in Hollywood, and many creatives in the entertainment world have been reluctant to embrace the rapidly evolving technology and AI-powered tools. Outrage ensued when Tilly Norwood, an entirely AI-made character, debuted as the first AI actor in the fall. Questions about copyrighted characters, images, and materials still loom large in conversations about AI. But many speakers in CES programming were optimistic about how the technology can be beneficial, and how AI could be used to help artists harness their creativity rather than stifle it or replace it. The tools that we create have unlocked something in us. Its kind of flattened that bar in terms of what storytelling can be because anyone now can be a storyteller, said Dwayne Koh, the head of creative at Leonardo.ai, during a Monday session on AI and creativity. It levels the playing field, but it also makes it easier for people to tell stories that they always want(ed) to tell that they never could have the opportunity to tell. Others were quick to point out that Hollywoods panic over emerging technology is not new. When we launched Photoshop in the 90s, we were also getting pretty angry phone calls from creatives saying that we were destroying craft, said Hannah Elsakr, Adobes vice president of generative AI new business ventures, at a Monday session focused on advertising. Were in early days with AI. Im not advocating for more cats jumping off diving boards in your feeds. I think its about high creativity and so the director, the artist, the actor is going to drive the high quality, Elsakr continued. Think of AI as another tool in the toolkit to make you drive that forward. Many conversations also centered on influencers and the growing legitimacy of internet-native creators and content in the traditional entertainment industry. The efficiency with which these creators work, sometimes because they are using AI-enabled tools, was a prime focus among many speakers. Brad Haugen, the executive vice president of digital strategy and growth at Lionsgate and 3 Arts, said traditional media companies should welcome opportunities to work with creators and embrace their importance. We have, potentially, the next great filmmaker, the next great TV showrunner, the next great digital entrepreneur, he said. Creators are not just there to market products. Theyre not just there to do internet stuff. Theyre actually the next Spike Jonze and the next Sofia Coppola. More entertainment-related programming is scheduled for Wednesday, with many sessions coming out of Varietys Entertainment Summit at the showcase, including panels with leaders from Netflix, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery, and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. In addition to formal programming, a host of entertainment-related products and services are on display at CES. An array of impressive televisions with advanced features, AI-powered smart headphones, a stringless smart guitar and even a sound chair that has built-in audio were among the innovations aimed at bringing AI and advanced tech to entertainment consumers. Amazon also announced the rollout of Alexa.com this week, bringing its AI assistant to the web with a host of new features, including personalized movie and TV recommendations. Its one of many features designed to enhance at-home viewing, including the previously announced feature that enables Alexa to jump to a specific scene youre searching for with just a simple description. Kaitlyn Huamani, AP technology writer
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||