AI
GenAI revolution is over . The next cycle could be even more transformative
Theo Reilly reports on the end of the generative AI ‘ hype cycle ’, and how the next chapter of artificial intelligence could bring even more growth to exhibitions
enerative AI leapt
G from a quirky new technology to a universal tool in an extraordinarily short space of time . Now , many experts say we are nearing the end of the ‘ hype cycle ’. ChatGPT is certainly useful , but it hasn ’ t rewritten the playbook for any industry – especially not the events industry .
On the next page , we will break down some of most exciting new AI apps , beyond just ChatGPT , that can be integrated into the day-to-day functions of exhibition companies . First , however , we will provide an overview of the ways in which the AI landscape may evolve in 2025 , and how this will impact the industry .
The trough of disillusionment In June 2024 , vice-president of analytics at Meta Alex Schultz published an article saying , “ Each time a new technology comes along , we seem to ride hype cycles and doom cycles about its impact ... It feels to me that we are near the peak of inflated expectations .”
The concept of hype cycles was devised in 1995 by American research firm Gartner . It states that revolutionary technologies see a massive initial surge called a “ peak of inflated expectation ”, but eventually collapse into a “ trough of disillusionment ” before slowly rising in perceived value as the technology is adopted en masse . If Schultz is right about the current state of Large Language Models ( LLMs ) like ChatGPT , we are now approaching a steep drop-off in hype .
New form of AI – video and interactive Schultz isn ’ t the only one to be
Left : AIpowered ‘ tensor ’ hologram technology could be set to bring sci-fi to the showfloor making such claims . Leading UK Government AI adviser Matt Clifford stated in an interview that , “ We may be at the flattening-out of the S-curve ” ( similar to a hype cycle ) of text-based LLMs . Clifford predicts , however , that the new AI revolution will move into an area that could impact the events industry in a radical fashion . Instead of the current AI , which is trained on text from the internet , new forms of AI could instead be trained on “ video and real-time interactive experience ”.
If his predictions are true , the industry stands to benefit hugely . Interactive experience ( and to an extent , video ) are the currency of exhibitions . An AI trained in this way could become directly usable at events via , for example advanced , lifelike holograms . The opportunities to create spectacles on the show floor would be endless .
A form of such technology is already in development . AI has been integrated with holograms , in what ’ s known as a ‘ tensor hologram ’. This new method of creating 3D images operates faster and requires less processing power than more traditional methods . The visual effect is truly something from a science fiction film .
What ’ s more , if video becomes the fuel for future AI , the industry would find itself in possession of a new form of highly valuable data – live recordings of events . Events like exhibitions may well become a gold mine for AI companies to train their models on the crowd behaviour at these large events .
Of course , data privacy and GDPR would have a lot to say about how this data could be used . Different
30 Issue 1 2025 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk