CES 2025 is here. What can we expect from the annual show of all things tech?

NEW YORK (AP) — CES, the annual trade show of all things tech, is upon us.

The multi-day event, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, kicks off this week in Las Vegas — where swaths of the latest gadgets and advances across industries like personal tech, transportation, health care, sustainability and more are set to be on display. And, like last year, artificial intelligence is everywhere you look.

CES 2024 saw more than 138,000 attendees, according to the CTA, and organizers expect to see at least that amount again for this year's show. Over 4,500 exhibitors, including 1,400 startups, are also anticipated across 2.5 million net square feet of floor space this week.

“These are the people getting together, focusing on solving some of the world’s biggest problems — and magic occurs.” Gary Shapiro, CEO and vice chair of the CTA, told The Associated Press ahead of this week's show.

Formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, CES brings attendees and exhibitors from around the globe, with Shapiro noting that organizers expect some 50,000 attendees to come from outside the U.S. Beyond an array of startups, big-name companies set to make appearances this year include Nvidia, Delta Air Lines, Honda, Volvo, Panasonic and L’Oréal.

There may be some increased security this year. CES 2025 arrives less than one week after a highly decorated Army soldier fatally shot himself in a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives before it burst into flames outside of President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas — not far from much of the trade show's planned event space. Shapiro said that organizers regularly work with officials for event safety and that “modest” changes were made in response to recent events, but couldn't go into further detail.

The AP spoke with Shapiro about what to expect for CES 2025. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

CES 2025 will be an exceptional leap forward in terms of innovation and technology, with a focus on a variety of themes important to the future of humanity. Over 4,000 companies will be here, on literally miles and miles of exhibit space. And they’ll be showing solutions to fundamental human problems — like access to food, clean air, clean water and mobility, as well as health care technology.

We also have newer categories. We’re seeing more technology for the disability community, for example. Products that can serve people with disabilities had a large presence last year, and we expect that to be even bigger this year. Overall, the show is serving humanity and using technology and innovation to fill in gaps where we need a lot more work.

Generative AI is affecting virtually every area. Just about every major exhibitor will be talking about AI in one form or another at CES this week. For businesses, the focus is more on enterprise and productivity. But for individuals, it’s about personalization.

We’ll see exhibitors, such as PC companies, focusing on personalization in new products for the PC and laptop marketplace. And then there’s AI being used in mobility — and not just in features for cars and self-driving. It’s for all sorts of vehicles, including agricultural products from companies like Caterpillar and John Deere.

The industry representing the companies involved welcomes government regulation. The government’s job is to say this is what is unsafe. And so the companies know what is legal and what is not. At the same time, a big challenge is if government stops innovation — so the question is for every country is finding that balance.

We expect the Trump administration to take a much more pro-business approach that favors innovation, including a focus on all sorts of energy sources, which is very important important. But tariffs are taxes. And we know that they are inflationary and paid for by consumers.

If we go forward with the proposals that the President-elect has indicated he may put in place, there would be severe impacts on the prosperity of the U.S. It depends on how exactly these tariffs are adopted but under some of the proposals, we estimate a range of a 30 to 50% price increases for basic products like PCs, cell phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches and all sorts of different products that consumers get a great value on today. That means that fewer people will be able to access these products. And, of course, other countries may then retaliate against U.S. exports. We don’t want to go in that direction.

CES has always focused on safety. There’s a lot of things we can’t talk about, but suffice it to say, we work with federal, state, local and facility officials for lots of planning. We’ve made some modest changes given the recent events, but we’re always trying to do it better.

I think companies are excited to come here. And any requests we’ve gotten have been extremely isolated.

Having top executives here, especially after COVID, is very special. People are focused on coming to Las Vegas and having this opportunity to meet face-to-face and finding the serendipity and discovery that happens when you’re making these business connections in person. That’s why trade shows like CES and others are such important events for the world.

Bosch showcases the Revol Intelligent Crib, which monitors the baby's vital signs and can automatically rock if the baby is crying, during 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Lili showcases a reading light and monitor with adjustable frequency to help people with dyslexia during 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Jack Dempsey)

E-SKIMO showcases the first electrical assisted e-ski mountaineering device, which has a removable belt to help propel your ascent and with it removed, you can descend like on a regular ski, during 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Kiyohiro Izumo uses the Kirin Electric Salt spoon which intensifies salt flavor by flowing a mild electric current through the food around the tongue to attract salt towards the tongue, during 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

The Kirin Electric Salt spoon flows a mild electric current through the food around the tongue to attract salt towards the tongue creating a more intense salt flavor, during 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

LiberLive showcases their stringless guitar at 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Mustard unveils their new consumer line of AI smart glasses with built-in privacy guards during 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, talks during an interview at 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Rebecca Isaacs checks out the new LG gram 2-in-1 convertible laptop offering the versatility of both a laptop and tablet during 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Tombot, a robotic dog for people who can not have a real pet, gets a scratch during 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

The highly decorated soldier who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative AI including ChatGPT to help plan the attack, Las Vegas police said Tuesday.

Nearly a week after 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger fatally shot himself, officials said according to writings, he didn't intend to kill anyone else.

An investigation of Livelsberger’s searches through ChatGPT indicate he was looking for information on explosive targets, the speed at which certain rounds of ammunition would travel and whether fireworks were legal in Arizona.

Kevin McMahill, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, called the use of generative AI a “game-changer” and said the department was sharing information with other law enforcement agencies.

“This is the first incident that I’m aware of on U.S. soil where ChatGPT is utilized to help an individual build a particular device," he said. “It’s a concerning moment.”

A message was left with ChatGPT developer OpenAI.

Launched in 2022, ChatGPT is part of a broader set of technologies developed by the San Francisco-based startup OpenAI. Unlike previous iterations of so-called “large language models,” the ChatGPT tool is available for free to anyone with an internet connection and designed to be more user-friendly.

During a roughly half-hour-long news conference, Las Vegas police and federal law enforcement officials unveiled new details about the New Year's Day explosion.

Among the specifics law enforcement disclosed: Livelsberger stopped during the drive to Las Vegas to pour racing-grade fuel into the Cybertruck, which then dripped the substance. The vehicle was loaded with 60 pounds (27 kilograms) of pyrotechnic material as well as 70 pounds (32 kilograms) of birdshot but officials are still uncertain exactly what detonated the explosion. They said Tuesday it could have been the flash from the firearm that Livelsberger used to fatally shoot himself.

Authorities also said they uncovered a six-page document that they have not yet released because they're working with Defense Department officials since some of the material could be classified. They added that they still have to review contents on a laptop, mobile phone and smartwatch.

Among the items released was a journal Livelsberger kept titled “surveillance” or “surveil” log. It showed that he believed he was being tracked by law enforcement, but he had no criminal record and was not on the police department's of FBI's “radar,” the sheriff said Tuesday.

The log showed that he considered carrying out his plans in Arizona at the Grand Canyon's glass skywalk, a tourist attraction on tribal land that towers high above the canyon floor. Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said police don't know why he changed his plans. The writings also showed he worried he would be labeled a terrorist and that people would think he intended to kill others besides himself, officials said.

Once stopped outside the hotel, video showed a flash in the vehicle that they said they believed was from the muzzle of the firearm Livelsberger used to shoot himself. Soon after that flash, video showed fire engulfing the truck's cabin and even escaping the seam of the door, the result of considerable fuel vapor, officials said. An explosion followed.

Livelsberger, an Army Green Beret who deployed twice to Afghanistan and lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, left notes saying the explosion was a stunt meant to be a “ wake up call ” for the nation's troubles, officials said last week.

He left cellphone notes saying he needed to “cleanse” his mind “of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took."

The explosion caused minor injuries to seven people but virtually no damage to the Trump International Hotel. Authorities said that Livelsberger acted alone.

Livelsberger’s letters touched on political grievances, societal problems and domestic and international issues, including the war in Ukraine. He wrote that the U.S. was “terminally ill and headed toward collapse.”

Investigators had been trying to determine if Livelsberger wanted to make a political point, given the Tesla and the hotel bearing the president-elect’s name.

Livelsberger harbored no ill will toward President-elect Donald Trump, law enforcement officials said. In one of the notes he left, he said the country needed to “rally around” him and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

This undated photo, provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows the Tesla Cybertruck involved in an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. (Las Vegas Police Department via AP)

This undated photo, provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows a weapon found inside a Tesla Cybertruck involved in an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. (Las Vegas Police Department via AP)