Technology futurist and innovation expert Scott Steinberg welcomed CEDIA Expo 2023 attendees to “a new age of smart home technology that is going to be more predictive, perceptive, and inclusive” with his rousing keynote, “The Unstoppable A.I. Revolution That’s Coming to the Home” on Wednesday evening.
Steinberg’s address was well-timed, as the custom integrator industry increasingly feels the tremors of the AI revolution, causing many to wonder how to best embrace this rapidly evolving technology and harness its potential.
“No matter what qualms or reservations you may have about AI and machine learning at the moment…the floodgates are now open, and we’re seeing a veritable tsunami of disruption headed our way,” said Steinberg. “From my perspective, this means that we’re going to get two choices here as tech and industry leaders. We’re either going to choose to get on board with the AI revolution, or we’re going to choose to get left behind by it in the dust.”
With the speed of adoption of new AI technology happening faster than that of smartphones and tablets, it can be difficult to keep up with all the advances, let alone the increasing demand and expectations of clients and customers. Fortunately, thanks to the transformative power of AI and machine learning, Steinberg said AI will be increasingly defined by its “growing emphasis on more human elements of technology as well as concepts like customer experience, context, and customization.” And that’s great news for the CI industry.
Steinberg reassured that the future doesn’t necessarily belong to AI, but belongs to humans working with AI, and that creativity and ingenuity are a big piece of it.
Gazing into his futurist crystal ball, Steinberg told the keynote attendees that the next 10 years are likely to bring more change than the prior 10,000 years ever did, with many pros speculating that we’ll have human-level AI in the next century.
“AI is not just going to redefine the shape of services and solutions and products going forward,” opined Steinberg. “It’s really going to transform the way that we work and we communicate and we connect with customers in the years to come. I’ve never seen a technology that has more potential to transform and upend any given industry and the way that we live and the way that we work.”
So where should a CI or AV professional start?
“What I can tell you is that as a smart home pro and a business leader, there is no better time to start playing around with and investing in AI technology than the present moment, and no better point in time to start planning for its impact on your business,” said Steinberg. He also encouraged attendees to give themselves and their businesses the tools and capabilities needed to quickly and effectively respond to changes.
“You do not have to be a genius to win in tomorrow’s business world, rather just a little bit more clever and ingenious instead,” he concluded.
See also: AI, Experiences And Leadership Top List Of Future Tech Trends
