CES 2025 Recap

As every year, I’d like to share a recap of my visit to CES in order to:

• Present the major trends shaping the market
• Share my favorite innovations, the technologies I found interesting, and those I considered less relevant
• Give you the clearest possible overview of what this 2025 edition of CES was really like

This year, I could summarize CES with just these three photos:

Because AI was absolutely everywhere this year. Whether it was:

• “Affectionate” at LG,
• “AI for everyone” at Samsung,
• Or “part of everyday life” at Hisense,

No matter the topic — healthcare, robotics, televisions, sustainability, and more — almost every innovation showcased at CES integrated artificial intelligence in one way or another.

Sometimes even excessively… with AI added to everything. In some cases it made perfect sense, while in others it seemed purely marketing-driven.

So let’s dive in and explore the key themes, technologies, and trends I observed during this 58th edition of CES.

A Few Numbers to Start

ES figures are always impressive, and they increased again this year:

• More than 232,000 m² of exhibition space
• More than 4,500 exhibitors, including 1,400 startups in Eureka Park, among them 150 French startups (110 through Business France and 40 from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region)
• More than 141,000 attendees, with over 40% coming from outside the United States (more than 150 countries represented)
• More than 6,000 journalists, content creators, and analysts
• 60% of Fortune 500 companies represented
• More than 27,000 news articles and pieces of content generated around the event

On the startup side, South Korea was clearly leading, with France in second place. This year, there were fewer of us than in previous editions… and honestly, that was a good thing.

I found the French Tech presence particularly high-quality this year: fewer flashy concepts and more genuinely innovative solutions.

Automotive at CES 2025

After the peak years of 2018 and 2019, I feel the automotive section of CES continues to shrink year after year, with fewer car manufacturers attending.

That said, the mobility section remains extremely interesting, if only to identify emerging trends through the growing number of equipment manufacturers.

And once again this year, walking through this part of the show made the future crystal clear:

• Electrification
• Alternative mobility
• Autonomous driving

A large portion of the exhibition space was dedicated to electric charging solutions, ranging from portable mobile charging units to more traditional high-capacity charging stations.

What also struck me this year was the number of exhibitors focused on alternative mobility such as electric scooters and bikes, which were far more present than in previous editions.

And if you really want to stand out: there was even a 4x4 capable of transporting your eVTOL in the trunk. You drive to the takeoff point, then the drone takes over for the rest of the journey.

Both vehicles have already been tested and approved. Obviously, after last summer’s events in France and the ban on flying taxi drones during the Olympic Games, these solutions will likely emerge first in China rather than Europe. Yet another example of Europe falling behind in innovation.

There were also many drones showcased this year:

• Delivery drones
• Mapping drones
• Passenger transport drones

Even if adoption remains difficult in some regions, these technologies are already becoming reality in others.

Back to more conventional mobility: over the past three years, I’ve talked about Sony’s car developed in partnership with Honda — and it’s still here… four years after its first appearance.

This giant PS5 on wheels, covered with screens everywhere, has never been closer to commercialization. Pre-orders are now open for deliveries in the United States this year and in Europe in autumn 2026.

That said, the starting price — above $90,000 — feels extremely high for a vehicle offering a maximum range of 650 km. In terms of competitiveness, it seems well above other manufacturers.

Honda also independently presented the evolution of the Honda 0 Saloon prototype unveiled last year: essentially a computer on wheels.

The vehicle will include a new operating system derived from the OS of Asimo, Honda’s famous robot presented years ago.

With a processor capable of deploying 2,000 terabytes of computing power in service of autonomous driving, level 3 autonomy — similar to Tesla’s — is achieved without difficulty.

But the real trend emerging from the mobility section this year remains autonomous driving.

First, because the number of suppliers producing camera systems and LiDAR technology keeps increasing, and second because these technologies are becoming almost invisible:

And above all, because autonomous driving is now a reality here in the United States.

Beyond Waymo’s latest announcements visible across the show floor:

• Diversification beyond Jaguar I-Pace vehicles with the launch of the autonomous Zeker RT minivan and the Hyundai Ioniq 5
• Significant technological simplification, moving from 30 cameras in the current system to 16 cameras, 5 LiDARs, and 6 radars in the next generation

You now see autonomous vehicles everywhere in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin.

In Las Vegas, it was also possible to encounter Zoox, Waymo’s likely future competitor, which has entirely designed a vehicle dedicated to autonomous driving, without a steering wheel and with passenger seats facing one another.

Unlike Waymo’s retrofitted standard vehicles, Zoox represents a fully purpose-built autonomous vehicle.

And all of this is driven by GAFAM: Google with Waymo and Amazon with Zoox.

To close this section, BMW presented a particularly concrete innovation that will soon arrive in its upcoming Neue Klasse lineup.

The BMW Panoramic Vision is a head-up display technology extending across the full width of the windshield. Unlike traditional HUD systems, this solution projects information onto a dedicated black surface, making it visible to all occupants. Essential driving information such as speed and navigation appears directly in the driver’s field of vision.

An optional 3D head-up display adds another layer of information and interactivity, notably for automated driving features and navigation alerts.

VR / XR at CES 2025

There were very few VR headsets this year, aside from a handful of Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 units used to showcase applications.

No major announcements were made in virtual reality.

The only true hardware novelty was Sony’s mixed-reality headset “XYN,” presented as a tool for creating spatial content — an integrated hardware and software solution allowing users to capture real-world imagery and transform it into virtual environments.

At nearly $4,000, however, it seems clearly targeted at professionals and will likely struggle against Meta and even Apple Vision. 

Whether augmented reality glasses, mixed-reality devices, or simpler audio/video smart glasses, there was something for everyone.

Part of this explosion is clearly linked to the success of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, which have inspired many competitors.

Most of the new products are aligned with what we imagine the future of augmented reality could become.

Many manufacturers continue working on smart glasses featuring contextual displays projected directly into the user’s field of vision.

There were countless brands attempting to position themselves in this market, and there’s no doubt this trend will continue in the coming months and years.

There were also simpler connected glasses serving as discreet hearing aids, such as Essilor Luxottica’s “Nuance Audio.”

But the glasses that impressed me most were Vuzix’s Ultralite Pro.

Xreal and Vuzix are already well-known CES regulars, but the Ultralite Pro stands out thanks to its integration of color LCoS projectors — a major improvement over previous monochrome green displays.

The field of view has been expanded, and the 3D display effects create a depth and immersive experience unlike the other glasses I tested.

Of course, they are still somewhat too bulky and heavy for all-day wear, but the progress achieved in just one year demonstrates the industry’s effort to balance functionality and portability.

I also tested real-time translation glasses equipped with microphones that instantly displayed translations during conversations. Even though I don’t understand Korean, the English translation appeared coherent.

Overall, the innovations showcased at CES 2025 suggest a future where augmented reality could integrate naturally into our daily lives.

Personally, since I struggle to remember names and faces, I dream of glasses capable of identifying people for me in real time.

Healthcare at CES 2025

This is perhaps the category where I found AI applications the most relevant and immediately usable.

Among the truly meaningful healthcare innovations were several solutions designed for visually impaired users.

Starting with the Smart Cane 2 from WeWalk, an evolution of last year’s foldable smart cane.

Now equipped with AI, the cane can detect obstacles and interact through voice commands. There’s no longer any need to constantly use a smartphone to understand the surrounding environment.

Other solutions for visually impaired users included “KapX,” an ultra-light headset by KapSys featuring AI and speakers to help detect obstacles, identify floor types, and guide users safely.

Another innovation I particularly appreciated came from Artha and relies on the concept of sensory substitution.

It’s a haptic lumbar belt capable of recreating 3D images on the user’s back through mechanical impulses.

The idea is that the brain possesses enough plasticity to interpret haptic messages similarly to visual information.

The belt transforms image pixels into tactile sensations, effectively allowing users to “feel” their environment.

This is exactly the kind of useful innovation that makes CES exciting.

Another healthcare innovation that could become a true technological and medical breakthrough is Hope, a bra developed by DFT Medical.

By analyzing blood flow, temperature, and other indicators, it aims to detect breast cancer after just 15 minutes of wear.

The goal is to identify potential warning signs as early as possible in order to accelerate medical diagnosis and improve recovery chances.

Another interesting innovation — and I’m definitely not mentioning this because of my age — came from Laclarée, which has developed adaptive glasses capable of naturally helping the eye refocus.

These autofocal glasses are designed to improve comfort for people with presbyopia.

The embedded technology is genuinely impressive, even though I obviously didn’t test them… because I definitely don’t need them yet.

Among the more traditional connected health devices, one product category stood out because of the number of exhibitors: connected rings.

They were everywhere.

If I had to mention just one, it would be the Velia smart ring from Switzerland.

Much thinner than its competitors, it tracks standard indicators such as heart rate, sleep, and stress.

But its key differentiator is its ability to measure blood pressure and heart rate using a unique PPG technology.

And finally, to conclude this health section, here’s an electric spoon that simulates salty taste.

Kirin’s “Electric Salt Spoon” sends a tiny electric current to the tongue, enhancing flavor perception and making food taste saltier.

It’s an interesting concept for reducing sodium consumption, which is known to contribute to blood pressure issues.

I didn’t get to try it myself, but it seemed very promising.

Displays at CES 2025

So what’s new in displays and televisions this year?

In my opinion, this edition didn’t deliver any major surprises.

Of course there were improvements and innovations, but most display technologies had already been previewed in previous years.

One standout was Lenovo’s stretchable display, capable of expanding from 14 inches to 16.7 inches — roughly a 50% increase in display surface — while weighing only 1.7 kg.

Interesting on paper, although real-world durability remains to be seen.

At Samsung, screens continue to become increasingly bright, especially their QD-OLED displays operating at 165 Hz and reaching sizes up to 115 inches.

Samsung also heavily promoted anti-reflective screen technologies this year.

And naturally, AI was everywhere here as well.

At TCL, display sizes continue to grow, including a 115-inch QD Mini-LED display — the largest diagonal currently available with this technology.

At LG, displays are brighter than ever. This year, they demonstrated transparent screens integrated into larger formats and operating fully wirelessly.

They also showcased an LG multi-door refrigerator integrating one of these transparent OLED displays.The LG Signature OLED is still a prototype, but we may soon see it arrive in kitchens.

Robotics at CES 2025

There was a lot to discuss in robotics this year.

First, robotics is becoming increasingly personal thanks to AI-driven interactions that are far more sophisticated than before.

Second, robotics ecosystems are becoming deeply connected to smart home environments.

Robotics and smart homes are increasingly merging and interfacing with one another.

This was visible on Samsung’s booth, where the promise was a fully interconnected ecosystem powered by SmartThings and AI:

And this is only the beginning. It’s easy to imagine that year after year, domestic robotics will become increasingly integrated with home devices.Your television will communicate with your refrigerator, which will preheat the oven while asking the robot vacuum cleaner to clean the house or hang the laundry. We’re not there yet… but honestly, we’re getting close.

To move in that direction, CES showcased many new products this year:

Roborock demonstrated robots capable of detecting objects left on the floor and gathering them into a designated location.

TCL introduced Ai Me, similar to Samsung’s Ballie, designed to assist families or monitor children. Equipped with sensors and cameras, the robot can monitor the home, control connected devices, and display expressive digital eyes reflecting different emotions.

On a more serious note, there were many humanoid robots this year, highlighting annual progress in the field. Among them:

• Unitree G1, still remotely controlled

• Pollen Robotics and its open-source robotics platform

• The latest version of Ameca, already famous over the past three years

More unusual concepts such as Mirumi, a robot intended to replace children or pets, and MarsCat, the first robotic cat: 

I should also mention the large number of exoskeletons showcased this year, designed either to assist workers with heavy lifting or help disabled individuals regain mobility. Finally, I can’t conclude this section without mentioning Nvidia’s announcement regarding Cosmos, an open-source foundational model designed to accelerate physical AI for robots and autonomous vehicles.

Rather than manually programming robots, Cosmos allows them to learn simply by observing tasks being performed.

This could dramatically accelerate robotics learning.

Sustainability and FoodTech at CES 2025

One of the most interesting sustainability innovations I discovered was SolCold, an Israeli startup that developed a nanotechnology polymer coating. It uses sunlight to cool surfaces without consuming energy. For example, it can be installed on warehouse or data center roofs and passively reduce indoor temperatures by 5°C. This can significantly reduce energy consumption and cooling costs.

Jackery also introduced solar roof tiles that actually look like traditional roof tiles. Until now, solar panels were difficult to integrate aesthetically because they remained flat. With this solution, entire roofs could become electricity-producing surfaces.

In FoodTech and Agritech, there were numerous connected devices ranging from ovens capable of recognizing food and automatically adjusting cooking settings to Wi-Fi-connected pellet grills operating autonomously.

One particularly interesting company was Plantaform, a Canadian startup developing indoor gardens using fogponics — a NASA-inspired irrigation technology based on mist.

The system promises 30 to 50% less water consumption compared to traditional hydroponics. I’ll skip autonomous tractors, which have already been showcased for several years.

AI at CES 2025

I saved this topic for the end because, as explained earlier, AI was unquestionably the dominant theme of CES 2025.

It was everywhere.

The most striking keynote this year was undoubtedly Nvidia’s.

In summary, Nvidia further consolidated its leadership position in semiconductors and AI computing through several major announcements:

• The GeForce RTX 50 series built on the Blackwell architecture, delivering unprecedented performance
• A desktop-scale AI supercomputer capable of running models with up to 200 billion parameters without cloud infrastructure
• The Cosmos AI platform already mentioned earlier

With these announcements, Nvidia significantly strengthened its position as a leader in AI and graphics technologies. But AI announcements went far beyond Nvidia.

LG demonstrated AI-enhanced televisions capable of adapting automatically to ambient lighting and viewing conditions.

Samsung presented embedded AI systems able to improve image quality, generate subtitles, and perform real-time translation.

In the future, our TVs will likely identify actors, explain recipes shown on screen, or tell us where scenes were filmed.Televisions are also becoming surveillance hubs capable of monitoring cameras and suspicious sounds before sending alerts.

LG has even planned future remote controls including dedicated AI buttons to personalize sound, image calibration, and even advertisements according to the viewer.

Ultimately, AI was truly everywhere at CES this year and will undoubtedly become deeply embedded in our daily lives tomorrow, whether we like it or not.

The next step will likely be the rise of “Agentic AI” — AI systems capable of proactively anticipating user needs and providing assistance autonomously.

Conclusion

The future presented at CES suggests a world increasingly driven by intelligent systems capable of analyzing and anticipating our behaviors. I also believe AI is helping reduce the gap between humans and robots.

A clear trajectory is emerging: innovation increasingly centered around humans, highly collaborative, ultra-connected, and fundamentally powered by AI to create new services in every industry.

In my opinion, AI must go beyond simple connectivity to improve comfort, security, and health in everyday life.

That said, one topic felt less visible this year: ethical and societal concerns.

These discussions seemed pushed into the background, with AI governance — and I mean governance, not regulation — receiving far less attention.

Overall, CES 2025 felt different from the previous two editions I attended.

Personally, I really enjoyed this year’s event. Even if it was slightly less inspirational, it brought practical innovation back to the forefront.

This year, I saw products that actually work and will launch in 2025. In the end, this edition was about innovation for the here and now.