CES 2018: Experts predict a festival of artificial intelligence and smart home products - Evening Express

Artificial intelligence and smart home assistants are expected to dominate the agenda at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), when it begins on Tuesday. One of the word's largest gatherings for the technology industry, the Las Vegas-based convention will see more than 170,000 people attend, looking to see the latest innovations from the likes of Intel, Samsung and Sony. But smart home speakers and the AI assistants that power them have been predicted to be the most widely discussed technology at the event, according to analysts, with Amazon and Google set to lead the way. Amazon has already announced new tools that will enable cooking appliances to connect to and be controlled by its virtual assistant Alexa, while dozens of start-ups and other firms are expected to showcase speakers and other devices compatible with Google Assistant, the internet giant's own AI helper. Industry expert Ben Wood, of analyst firm CCS Insight, said he expected a show awash with smart gadgets.