From the strong presence of Chinese exhibitors to the growing momentum of digital health devices, firsthand insights from the show floor reveal key industry shifts. Beyond the tech, we also share key takeaways on how to effectively exchange business contacts at tradeshows.
從中國參展商的強勢亮相到數位健康的成長趨勢，我們從CES展會獲得的第一手觀察揭示了行業的關鍵變化。除了技術趨勢，我們還分享了在國際展會上如何有效建立商業聯繫的重要心得。

**Left to right:** Josh Cheng (Director of Sales); Claire Liao, (HR Leader); Cindy Lin, (eCommerce Account Manager); Morris Liao, (CEO and Founder).
**左起：**Josh Cheng（銷售總監）、Claire Liao（人資主管）、Cindy Lin（電商帳戶經理）、Morris Liao（CEO暨創辦人）。

This year, we made our annual pilgrimage to CES—arguably the most influential consumer technology event in the world.

Overall, we had mixed feelings about the show. AI was advertised as a key theme of CES 2025, yet surprisingly, we didn’t see as much real AI innovation as expected. This absence was telling— it raises questions about how businesses are positioning AI for consumers and the broader trajectory of the industry.

And yet, AI seemed to be everywhere—at least in marketing. From auto vacuums to treadmills, companies scrambled to cash in on the buzz, whether or not the tech was truly relevant. Many so-called ‘AI-powered’ devices had little to do with actual artificial intelligence. Marketers recognize the opportunity to monetize the hype, but for potential buyers, the excitement appears more measured. We couldn’t help but wonder—does slapping 'AI' on everything actually help brands, or does it backfire? Curious to validate our hunch, we found a study by Washington State University, published in Hospitality Marketing & Management. It turns out that overusing the term ‘Artificial Intelligence’ in product descriptions can actually reduce purchase intent and erode consumer trust.

That disconnect might stem from the fact that much of today’s AI still relies on pre-2022 advancements—natural language processing (i.e. ChatGPT) and text-to-image generation (i.e. Midjourney). The buzz around Rabbit R1 at CES 2024 was a perfect example: while the device captivated audiences with its AI assistant capabilities, it also raised questions about whether AI in consumer tech is truly revolutionary or just a repackaging of existing tools.

After all, the essence of CES is consumer electronics—products we actually want to own—not just flashy tech demos designed to flex innovation.

今年，我們再次踏上年度CES之旅——全球最具影響力的消費電子科技展覽。

整體來說，我們對本次展會的感受是複雜的。CES 2025 將 AI 作為核心主題，但出乎意料的是，我們並未看到太多真正的 AI 創新。這種缺乏新突破的現象令人深思——這是否反映了企業在消費市場上的 AI 佈局策略？AI 技術的未來發展方向又將如何？

儘管如此，AI 似乎仍然無所不在——至少在行銷上是如此。從掃地機器人到智慧跑步機，各種產品都急於搭上 AI 的熱潮。許多所謂的「AI 驅動」設備，實際上與人工智慧關係不大。這讓我們不禁思考——將「AI」標籤行銷在所有產品上，究竟對品牌有幫助，還是適得其反？我們查閱了一項由華盛頓州立大學發表在《酒店行銷與管理》期刊的研究，結果顯示，過度使用「人工智慧」一詞來形容產品，反而可能降低消費者的購買意願，並削弱品牌的可信度。

這種AI無處不在，卻看不建真正創新的落差可能源於大多產品仍仰賴 2022 年之前的發展——如自然語言處理（ChatGPT）和圖像生成技術（Midjourney）。CES 2024 的 Rabbit R1 便是典型案例：這款 AI 口袋秘書引起了極大的關注，但同時也讓人質疑，消費科技中的 AI 是否真的是革命性的創新，還是僅僅是對現有技術的重新包裝？

畢竟，CES 的核心是消費電子產品——我們真正想擁有的商品，而不僅僅是炫技的科技展示。

PERSPECTIVE 1: America is still the land of opportunity

“Morris commends the U.S. for its early adoption of technology, but what stands out even more is the American mindset toward risk and failure.”

While the industry is pushing to evolve beyond Large Language Models and image generation, Morris Liao, CEO of BLIVE GLOBAL, offers a broader perspective. Having worked in the U.S. before founding the company—including a background as a software engineer at Rivian—he brings a deep understanding of how innovation thrives in different regions.

Morris commends the U.S. for its early adoption of technology, but what stands out even more is the American mindset toward risk and failure. Unlike in Asia and Europe, where failure is often seen as a setback, in the U.S., it is treated as part of the innovation process. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to take risks, and failures are viewed as stepping stones rather than career-ending mistakes. This cultural openness, he notes, enables companies to experiment boldly, pivot quickly, and ultimately drive technological breakthroughs at a faster pace. (By contrast, a recent Financial Times report highlights how China is taking a stricter approach, holding startup founders personally liable for failures and even placing some on a national debtor blacklist.)

觀點1：美國仍是機會之地

隨著產業試圖跨越現有技術的鴻溝，BLIVE GLOBAL的創辦人兼 CEO Morris Liao 提供了一個更宏觀的視角。他曾在美國工作多年，並曾擔任 Rivian 的軟體工程師，因此對不同地區的創新文化有深刻的理解。

他認為，美國的創新環境不僅得益於技術的快速採用，更重要的是其對失敗的包容態度。與亞洲和歐洲相比，美國更鼓勵企業家承擔風險，並將失敗視為創新過程的一部分，而非事業失敗的標誌。這種文化上的開放，使得企業能夠勇敢實驗、快速調整方向，最終推動技術突破。（相比之下，根據《金融時報》近期報導，中國則採取更嚴格的政策，要求創辦人承擔個人責任，甚至將創業失敗者列入債務黑名單。）

PERSPECTIVE 2: The strong presence of Chinese exhibitors

"I thought I was in China," Cindy Lin, our eCommerce Account Manager, remarked.

"Like Huaqiangbei?" I asked.

She nodded and smiled. Of course, this observation applied mostly to the peripheral vendors clustered away from the main aisle—but the scale was undeniable. In fact, over 1,300 Chinese companies had booths at CES 2025, accounting for 30% of all exhibitors at the event.

Despite China’s well-established branding power in eCommerce—particularly on platforms like Amazon—Cindy was still surprised by the scale and strategy of Chinese exhibitors at CES. The focus wasn’t just on product innovation, but on visual dominance. With elaborate booth designs, Chinese exhibitors compete to capture attention in one of the world’s most powerful tech showcases.

At a macro level, China’s presence at CES signals an unstoppable momentum. Even the rockstar of CES, founder and CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, acknowledged China's impact in his keynote, “The single greatest impact is the incredible technology coming out of China.”

“This aligns with Cindy’s observation—nearly every Chinese company at CES seemed to be actively masking their origins, adopting a more international branding style to appeal to Western markets.”

Yet, despite this dominance, participation wasn’t without obstacles. Later in the week, I dug deeper into the numbers and discovered an unusually high number of denied U.S. visa applications for Chinese company representatives. According to Chris Pereira, founder of iMpact, a New York-based consultancy, "Half of the 40 companies in attendance reported their staff were being denied visas, despite holding official invitation letters from CES."

China’s rise in global tech is inevitable, but breaking into Western markets comes at a steep cost. This aligns with Cindy’s observation—nearly every Chinese company at CES seemed to be actively masking their origins, adopting a more international branding style to appeal to Western markets.

Beyond branding, another challenge remains: China’s ecosystem may not yet have a fully developed upstream and downstream supply chain, making international expansion more complex. Moving ahead, success may depend not just on marketing reinvention, but also on how companies navigate structural investments and global market integration.

觀點2：中國參展商的強勢崛起

「我還以為自己來到了中國。」我們的電商帳戶經理 Cindy Lin 說道。

「像華強北那樣嗎？」我打趣地問。

她點頭微笑。當然，這種現象主要出現在較低調、簡約的周邊展位，而非主展區那些精心設計的攤位，但中國企業的規模與影響力仍然不容忽視。今年，CES 2025 共迎來 1,300 多家中國參展商，佔展商總數的 30%。

即使中國品牌早已在 Amazon 等電商平台上建立了強大品牌力，Cindy 仍然對中國展商在 CES 上的戰略佈局感到讚賞。他們不僅在產品創新上發力，還在視覺呈現上極力競爭，以在全球最具影響力的科技展會中脫穎而出。

就連 CES 的明星人物——輝達創辦人兼 CEO 黃仁勳，也在他的演講中提及：「當今最重大的影響力，來自於中國令人驚嘆的技術創新。」

儘管中國勢不可擋，但多數企業在進軍國際市場時，仍面臨諸多挑戰。根據 iMpact 顧問公司創辦人 Chris Pereira 的說法，即使持有 CES 官方邀請函，在40 家中國企業中，有近半數的工作簽證遭到美國拒絕。

中國在全球科技領域的崛起已成必然，但要成功打入西方市場，需付出高昂的代價。這與 Cindy 的觀察不謀而合——在 CES 參展的幾乎每一家中國企業，都在刻意淡化自身的中國背景，轉而採用更具國際化的品牌形象，以迎合西方市場的偏好。

然而，除了品牌形象的轉變，還有一道待解的問題：中國的產業生態系統尚未完全建立起成熟的上下游供應鏈。未來，企業的成功不僅取決於行銷策略的創新，更在於如何有效布局結構性投資，並順利融入全球市場的供應與競爭體系。

PERSPECTIVE 3: The growing momentum of digital health devices

At CES 2025, the intersection of technology and healthcare continues to take center stage. One standout innovation making waves is the electric salt spoon, a device that delivers a mild electric current to the tongue, enhancing the perception of saltiness without adding sodium.

The timing of this breakthrough is especially relevant. Just last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidelines promoting lower-sodium salt substitutes to combat excessive sodium intake—a major contributor to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, particularly among racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S.

With global efforts to reduce sodium intake gaining traction, could this spoon be more than just a novelty? For individuals who need to quickly adjust their diets, it has the potential to be a game-changer. But does it truly work, or is the effect more psychological—perhaps even a placebo? Either way, it's certainly a bit shocking—both in concept and execution :)

“When reflecting on her CES 2025 insights, what stood out to me most was Claire’s empathetic approach to science.”

But beyond dietary innovations, CES 2025 showcased a broader movement in health technology—one that extends beyond what we consume to how we monitor overall well-being. One that caught the attention of Claire Liao, our HR leader, who plays a vital role in supporting employees' well-being, was Withings’ conceptual product, OMNIA. This smart mirror integrates data from Withings' ecosystem of devices—smartwatches, scales, and blood pressure monitors—to offer a comprehensive health snapshot at a glance.

When reflecting on her CES 2025 insights, what stood out to me most was Claire’s empathetic approach to science. With a background in Education Science & Psychology from UC Irvine, she has a deep understanding of child development and the role of emotional well-being in cognitive growth. She recognizes that well-being extends beyond physical health—especially in early childhood and social development. During the interview, she highlighted two standout products that illustrate this trend:

Mirumi by Yukai Engineering – A mascot robot designed to subtly engage with people by turning its head to "steal a glance" at nearby individuals. Inspired by the curiosity of human babies, Mirumi expresses emotions like bashfulness and wonder.
Loona by KEYi Tech – A family-friendly petbot designed to entertain and interact with children through games and voice-controlled AI-generated visuals.

觀點3：健康 x 科技的成長趨勢

在 CES 2025，科技與健康的應用依然是展會的核心亮點。其中，一款引起熱議的產品是電動鹽勺——透過微弱的電流刺激舌頭，使味覺感受到更強的鹹味，卻不會額外增加鈉攝取。

這項突破性的技術來得正是時候。兩周前，世界衛生組織（WHO）才剛發布新的飲食指引，推廣低鈉鹽替代品，以降低過量鈉攝取對健康的危害——高血壓、心臟病和中風，特別是在美國的少數族裔中更為常見。

在全球減鹽行動日益受到關注下，這款電動鹽勺究竟能真正改變飲食習慣，還是心理作用——甚至只是安慰劑效應？無論如何，這個點子確實夠「震撼」的——不只是概念，連執行方式也帶點電流衝擊呢 :)

CES 不僅關注我們吃進什麼，更著眼於如何全面監測健康狀況——一場更廣泛的健康科技變革。

其中，最引起我們人資主管 Claire Liao 注意的，是 Withings 的概念產品 OMNIA。身為我們公司內部關懷員工健康的重要推手，Claire 對這款智慧鏡子特別感興趣。OMNIA 能整合 Withings 生態系統內的各種設備數據——包括手錶、體重計和血壓監測儀，讓使用者一眼掌握自身的健康概況。

當 Claire 分享她在CES 2025 的所見所聞時，最讓我印象深刻的，是她對科學的「共情式理解」。

Claire 擁有加州大學爾灣分校（UC Irvine）教育科學與心理學雙學位，對兒童發展及情緒健康有著深刻的見解。她認為，健康不僅限於生理層面，更涵蓋情感與社交發展——尤其是在兒童早期成長中，這一點至關重要。

在訪談中，她特別提到了兩款極具代表性的產品：

Mirumi（由 Yukai Engineering 開發）—— 這款機器人透過微妙的互動吸引使用者，會輕輕轉頭「偷瞄」身旁的人，以引發情感連結。其靈感來自於嬰兒的好奇心，能表現出害羞、驚奇等情緒，模擬人類的自然反應。
Loona（由 KEYi Tech 開發）—— 一款為家庭設計的寵物機器人，能透過遊戲和語音控制的 AI 生成視覺效果，與兒童進行互動。

***Soft Contact in Robot Design:***
*As I was writing this blog and reflecting on the many innovations at CES 2025, I couldn’t help but think about* *Harry Harlow’s 1958 experiment on attachment*. His research demonstrated that contact comfort played a greater role in attachment than basic needs like food—infant monkeys consistently preferred a cloth-covered surrogate mother over a wire mother that provided milk.
This led me to reconsider how physical design influences our emotional connection to robots. At CES, Mirumi’s soft, furry exterior seemed intentionally designed to evoke warmth, while Loona, despite its playful AI personality, featured a hard-shell design, making it feel more mechanical.
As robots increasingly take on companionship roles, how much do texture, material, and physical design shape our emotional bond with technology? Will future consumer robots prioritize tactile comfort as much as intelligence?
***機器人設計中的「觸感連結」:***
*在撰寫這篇部落格時，我不禁想起* *Harry Harlow 在 1958 年關於依附理論的經典實驗*。他的研究顯示，「接觸安慰（contact comfort）」在情感依附中的作用，遠比食物等基本需求更重要——實驗中的幼猴更願意依偎在絨布母猴上，而不是那隻雖能提供奶水，卻冰冷生硬的鐵絲母猴。
*這讓我開始思考：機器人的外觀設計如何影響我們與它們的情感連結？*
*在 CES 展出的 Mirumi，擁有毛茸茸的外觀，讓使用者感受到柔軟的撫觸。相比之下，Loona 雖然擁有活潑的個性，但其硬殼設計讓它仍然帶有一種機械感。*
當機器人逐漸融入我們的日常生活，甚至成為「夥伴」，我不禁思考：材質、質感與設計，是否同樣影響我們與機器人的情感連結？尚未問世的機器人，是否會將「觸感安慰」納入設計考量，而人工智慧是否仍是唯一的核心？

PERSPECTIVE 4: Mastering Business Networking at Tech Tradeshows

“ As Director of Sales and Customer Relations at BLIVE GLOBAL, Josh Cheng has seen firsthand how CES provides SMEs with a unique opportunity to connect with key industry players.”

At an international exhibition of this scale, business networking often proves more valuable than passive product exploration. While CES is known for its cutting-edge technology, it is also a powerful meeting ground that reshapes how business is done. As Director of Sales and Customer Relations at BLIVE GLOBAL, Josh Cheng has seen firsthand how CES provides SMEs with a unique opportunity to connect with key industry players.

For small to medium enterprises (SMEs)—the very businesses BLIVE GLOBAL helps expand into the U.S.—CES is a game-changer. It brings together executives from major global companies, creating a space to meet potential customers, partners, and investors—all in one place.

But some of the most valuable networking moments happen outside the showroom floor. Josh recalls a chance encounter while waiting in line—what started as a friendly greeting quickly turned into an invitation to a private cocktail party. These unofficial after-hours events often lead to some of the most meaningful industry relationships, where conversations flow more naturally in a relaxed setting.

Adding to that, I can’t help but speculate that CES’s timing—held annually in January in Las Vegas—creates the perfect environment for networking. With the holiday season just behind them, attendees arrive refreshed and open to new opportunities. For SMEs and business leaders alike, it’s a prime moment to forge valuable connections that can shape the year ahead.

觀點4：在國際舞台建立人脈

在這樣規模的展會上，商業交流往往比單純的產品探索更具價值。CES 不僅以尖端科技聞名，更是一個強大的商業交流平台，重新定義了企業如何拓展市場與建立合作。

作為 BLIVE GLOBAL 的銷售與客戶關係總監 Josh Cheng，他親眼見證了 CES 如何為中小企業（SMEs）提供機會與關鍵業界人士建立聯繫。

對於想進軍美國市場的中小企業——也是 BLIVE GLOBAL 所協助的客戶群體——CES 匯聚了來自全球各大企業的高層。讓企業能夠在同一個場域內，與潛在客戶、合作夥伴及投資人直接對話，大大提升商業拓展的效率。

然而，最有價值的交流，往往發生在展會會場之外。Josh 回憶起一次偶然的機會：在排隊等待時，隨意的寒暄竟然促成了一場雞尾酒派對。這類非正式的社交場合，往往能讓業界人士在輕鬆的氛圍中建立真正深厚的業務關係，這在正式的會面中是無法複刻的。

此外，我不禁猜測，CES 的舉辦時間——每年 1 月於拉斯維加斯——也為這種交流創造了絕佳的環境。隨著聖誕和新年假期結束，與會者的心態通常較為放鬆，也更願意迎接新機會。對於中小企業和企業領導者來說，這是一個關鍵時刻，能夠奠定今年公司的走向，並建立至關重要的行業交流。

***All About Numbers:***
*For those less familiar with the tech industry and wondering why CES is such a big deal,* *the numbers speak for themselves.*
**數字會說話：為何 CES 如此重要？**
對於不太熟悉科技產業的人來說，或許會好奇 CES 為何如此受矚目。但其影響力不言而喻——從數據本身就能看出其規模與重要性。

LOOKING AHEAD: Key AI Research & Industry Insights

For a deeper dive into the breakthroughs shaping AI in 2025, check out Latent Space’s curated list of must-read research papers. This collection highlights the most influential studies driving AI innovation, offering a glimpse into where the industry is headed beyond the buzzwords.

Read on: https://www.latent.space/p/2025-papers

展望未來：AI 的關鍵研究與產業洞察

想深入了解 2025 年 AI 領域的最新突破？Latent Space 整理了一份必讀研究論文列表，涵蓋當前最具影響力的技術發展趨勢。

繼續閱讀: https://www.latent.space/p/2025-papers

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