To realize the promise of CES 2020, let’s address the real “I” in IoT: inefficiency

Connected things are no longer the exception. They’re the rule. Nowhere was this clearer to me than at CES this year, where virtually every thing on the floor — every robot, wearable, screen, vehicle, appliance, furnishing — was either somehow connected to the internet or at least was on track to be someday. In fact, IoT has become such a commonplace term that some at CES felt it was already time for a rebranding, from the Internet of Things to the Intelligence of Things. Referring to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in every conceivable thing actually makes a lot of sense to me. Still, we might already be hearing a third option for the “I” in IoT in the next 5-10 years — especially as the emergence of 5G enables ultra-demanding applications such as autonomous vehicle navigation and telemedicine at speeds promised to be tens of times faster than the 4G we have today. The “Immediacy of Things” could be the talk of CES 2025.