In the “Future Technologies: The Scoop From Silicon Valley” CEDIA education course on September 6, 2023, Rich Green, Founder of Rich Green Design, delved into the trends and insights that will impact CEDIA businesses and system design over the next decade.
Unsurprisingly, the discussion of Artificial Intelligence and its current and future implications in the CI industry dominated the course.
“AI is the topic of the year,” said Green to a packed room. “2023 is going to go down in history as the inflection point in the evolution of the human race. It’s not going to go away, and we had better figure this out.”
With AI creeping into nearly every corner of our lives, it’s important for integrators and AV professionals to understand how to harness this exciting technology to increase profits and satisfy clients. But Green warned attendees to not lose track of their business because of the acceleration of recent technologies. “We’re about to be under a tsunami. At the end of the day, if you haven’t made a profit nothing else matters. That’s the most important thing I’m going to say today.”
Many of the industry trends that Green highlighted are disrupting industries across the board, thanks to the advancements in AI, particularly with Extended Reality (XR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse. “Metaverse isn’t taking off on the consumer side, but it is on the industrial side, so don’t just dismiss it. The industrial application is very important for virtual meetings and collaborative design,” added Green.
Other trends Green touched on are the increase of generative AI used to produce movies, compose music, and other immersive experiences, and the increased use and development of robots to help with elder care and handle dangerous or repetitive tasks.
Surprisingly, Green acknowledged the analog revolution as a major trend to be aware of, and not just with vinyl records and turntables. Consumers are increasingly seeking physical devices and experiences amidst their digital lives, creating profitable opportunities for AV professionals.
Green urged attendees to get into an abundance mindset and to be conscientious leaders in their companies, communities, families, and industry. “You’ve got to be extremely diligent. It’s time for you to take the lead. Don’t let AI and the new technology scare you, it’s the human touch that’s going to get us through this,” said Green.
The session concluded with the reveal of the CEDIA/CTA-RP22 Immersive Audio Design document, available widely beginning September 7, 2023. Produced in collaboration with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) over three years and 3,000 man-hours, this document lays out the industry-recommended immersion audio design practices for integrators. “This is your recipe for success, use this as a sales tool,” Green instructed. “You can come to your client and say “This is the CEDIA gold standard in immersive audio and I am one of the people who is qualified to do this for you. Let’s talk about the level of performance that you’re interested in”.”
See also: CEDIA Names 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient And Fellow
