Emerging Trends in AI and Autonomous Vehicles in 2024: Insights from Mersive Technologies
In an insightful discussion, Theresa Benson, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Mersive Technologies, highlighted the transformative impact of AI and cloud technology on the Pro AV industry.
Benson underscored how these technologies are driving a significant evolution in the sector, enhancing meeting space collaboration, improving cybersecurity, and fostering innovation in AV solutions. Mersive's products, such as the Solstice platform, are at the forefront of this change, incorporating AI and cloud capabilities to create more flexible, powerful, and secure meeting environments.
AI integration in Pro AV systems is automating and optimising AV management, improving meeting facilitation, and supporting smarter content sharing and room utilization. Cloud technology, on the other hand, enables seamless collaboration across distributed teams and devices, allowing for scalable and easily accessible AV services.
The focus on evolving inclusivity and security within AV solutions is a key aspect of these technology advancements. AI can assist with acoustic adjustment based on room occupancy and purpose, and AI-enabled systems can offer real-time translations during interactions, eliminating accessibility challenges. Moreover, AI can help protect AV systems against threats and misuse by analysing data types for irregularities and potential security threats.
While Benson's focus is on the near-term trajectory of the Pro AV industry shaped by AI/cloud tech, broader industry examples like the Vegas Sphere with advanced immersive sound and haptics illustrate how technology is pushing the boundaries of experience in Pro AV. However, these examples are more hardware-intensive compared to cloud/AI-centric solutions.
Looking ahead, 40 AV/IT companies have released roadmaps for 2024, with a priority on delivering secure, inclusive, and human-centric experiences. AI in AV is revolutionising the field, making experiences more personalised, efficient, and immersive. Supervised machine learning models learn user behaviour and synthesise it with larger datasets, while edge AI processes data on IoT devices and wearables, reducing latency.
The AI-enabled era of AV has significant potential for the future. With 28 thought leaders focusing on visualisation technologies, 15 on next-generation audio, and 15 on streaming technologies, the industry is gearing up for an exciting transformation. Moreover, 30 AV/IT thought leaders are discussing hybrid work in 2024, and 15 are focusing on esports, indicating a broader adoption of AI in various AV applications.
In conclusion, AI and cloud technology are critical enablers of smarter, more inclusive, and more secure Pro AV systems. They are helping the industry evolve from traditional hardware models to integrated digital-first solutions that enhance collaboration and user experience. The future of Pro AV looks promising, with a focus on personalisation, efficiency, and immersion driven by AI and cloud technology.
Artificial-intelligence features like room-based acoustic adjustment and real-time translation during interactions are enhancing the inclusivity and security within Pro AV solutions, as highlighted by Theresa Benson. Events such as the adoption of hybrid work and esports in 2024, and the focus on next-generation audio and streaming technologies, demonstrate the industry's commitment to leveraging AI for a broader application and transformation toward digital-first, intelligent Pro AV systems.
