Sometimes, a single picture implies the times. William Turner, a painter loved by the British, implied the tumultuous trend of the Industrial Revolution as’Battleship Temerer’. A huge sailing boat that once boasted majesty against the backdrop of the setting sun is being dragged lonely by a small steamboat representing a new technology. No one can stop the arrival of a new era and a new order.
The world’s largest IT (information technology) and home appliance exhibition’CES 2021′, which is attracting the attention of global technology companies, is eloquent that the steamship in the era of the 4th industrial revolution is artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation. It is a scene of history since the US Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the host company of CES, unveiled the’all digital’ exhibition model for the first time ever.
Deloitte Global evaluated that “the technology has shortened the change that will take five years to five months as it fights against Corona 19.” McKinsey & Company defined 2021 as the’Year of Transformation’, saying, “As data is exploding due to the non-face-to-face economy triggered by Corona 19, AI utilization and digitalization are spreading at an unprecedented rate.” .
Corona 19 advances the paradigm turning point that economist Carlotta Peres said, the point at which a new technological revolution turns into a trend. The technological revolution came along with adversity, and humanity has evolved by overcoming it.
Global companies participating in CES 2021 Media Day are predicting a message of hope to consumers exhausted from Corona 19. Samsung Electronics”better daily life for everyone’ and LG Electronics”more comfortable and productive life’ are representative examples. The same goes for Bosch’s’climate-friendly solutions for health, home and mobility’ and Panasonic’s’technology that moves us all forward.’
The keynote speech is the same. Hans Best Verizon’s chief executive officer (CEO) is planning to use 5G, and Mary Barra General Motors (GM) CEO is planning to use electric vehicles as keywords. Best Buy CEO Corrie Barry will explain the importance of diversity and inclusion, and Julie Sweet Accenture CEO Julie Sweet Accenture will explain the reimagined decade of the future.
The theme of the CES 2021 online session also expresses expectations for’Next Normal’. It is because’the power of AI’ is the first hitter in the session. Keywords that frequently appear in each session are’next generation’,’innovation’,’future’,’transformation’,’transition’,’exploration’, and’opportunity’. It reminds me of the spirit of the modern economy of the 19th century that civilizedly supported the industrial revolution of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Graphic = Reporter Taeksoo Shin [email protected]
AI-led’revolution of evolution’… The change that will take 5 years, a world in 5 months
1180 cases… The number of IoT/sensor/AI technologies that participated in CES
Roger Bootle, who leads the British think tank’Capital Economics’, criticized that the boundary theory on artificial intelligence (AI), the spread of robots, and digital transformation has no empirical basis. That’s right if you argue that the AI-digital transformation will eliminate jobs, reduce aggregate demand, and increase inequality. As Bootle pointed out,’CES 2021′ is a drama that refutes negative views on AI and digital transformation. It creates hope that existing jobs can evolve, complementary jobs that coexist with AI can increase, and jobs that have not existed in the past can be created.
More Sejin AI power
“Is the AI-driven productivity boom coming?” Eric Brignoofson, director of the Digital Economics Research Institute at Stanford University, diagnosed that “AI has already crossed the threshold.” However, he said, “It cannot be confirmed with economic statistics yet.” CES 2021 heralds the early arrival of the AI-driven productivity boom.
As of the 9th (local time), the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors, and AI were the most, with 644 and 536 entries, respectively, of 1964 companies and institutions around the world exhibited at CES 2021. In fact, it shows that AI is becoming the infrastructure for digital transformation. Whether it is the “animal impulse” mentioned by John Maynard Keynes or the “entrepreneurship” emphasized by Joseph Schumpeter, if it comes from the unique instinct of an investor and entrepreneur, CES 2021, held while fighting the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), will be held in the future. It is likely to be the rudder of leading digital transformation.
Big Tech Ieul Startup
There are 634 global startups that have made their faces at CES 2021. Looking at the categories (duplicate), AI (209), IoT/sensor (201), digital health (141), wellness technology (130), lifestyle (118), smart city (116) , Smart home (107), automobile (110), robotics (70), entertainment (64). Big tech companies such as Google, Amazon, and Apple seem to be leading the era, but the fact that the 4th Industrial Revolution ecosystem can’t roll without start-ups is another point to watch for CES 2021. It can be seen just by looking at big techs competing for funding (financing) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for startups. They will someday take over the big tech spot. You can’t even think of an open innovation system without startups.
Service Industry Productivity Revolution
According to an analysis, the number of patients using medical services through communication in the United States has soared from 8% to 30% due to Corona 19. Deloitte Global cited “virtual doctor visit” as a major trend to watch in 2021. It is predicted that 5% of the world’s patients will use video call services. It also predicted that the telehealth virtual visit market would reach $8 billion. CES 2021 heralds a revolution in the service industry, including digital health. The same goes for mobility, financial services, and distribution. In these fields, the McKinsey & Company report emphasized that there are many global companies that have increased their AI investments in the midst of Corona 19. The service industry is less productive than the manufacturing industry in any country. If the productivity revolution occurs early in the service industry, the global economic recovery will accelerate that much.
Competition to attract talent under water
According to a 2019 survey by Tencent Holdings in China, 50% of the 36,500 global AI talents identified through LinkedIn profiles and the like are in the United States. If you narrow it down to Silicon Valley, it is 36%. Even if narrowed down to’Big Tech 5’such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and IBM, it is 20%. This is why the U.S. is overwhelmingly ahead of its AI development and utilization capabilities. Although China’s participation in CES 2021 was low, it did not give up its dream of becoming an AI and digital powerhouse. Rather, it is likely to move more fiercely internally. As CES 2021 was held as’All Digital’, there is a high likelihood that a battle for talent will take place under the water while exploring and comparing strategic products of global companies. In fact, there is an analysis that the annual CES exhibition is accompanied by talent transfer.
CES 2021 strongly suggests that individuals, companies, and countries that are leading the way in AI use and digital transformation will be the winners in the post-corona era. It is clear what a competent government should do if he can read the code of’Next Normal’. It is not about mass production of taxes and regulations, but about encouraging and promoting new technologies and industries, and nurturing human resources.
Ahn Real-time AI Economic Research Institute Director and Editorial Writer [email protected]