AI infused everything on show at CES gadget extravaganza

The latest leaps in artificial intelligence in everything from cars, robots to appliances will be on full display at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opening Thursday in Las Vegas. Forced by the pandemic to go virtual in 2021 and hybrid last year, tens of thousands of show-goers are hoping for a return to packed halls and rapid-fire deal-making that were long the hallmark of the annual gadget extravaganza. "In 2022, it was a shadow of itself-- empty halls, no meetings in hotel rooms," Avi Greengart, an analyst at Techspotential told AFP. "Now, (we expect) crowds, trouble getting around and meetings behind closed doors--which is what a trade show is all about." The CES show officially opens on January 5, but companies will begin to vie for the spotlight with the latest tech wizardry as early as Tuesday. CES will be spread over more than 18 acres (seven hectares), from the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center to pavilions set up in parking lots.