The Product of 2031 — Reimagining Household & Commercial Products for the Next 5 Years

What will household and commercial products look like five years from now? Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), connected devices, smart packaging, robotics, and digital technologies are transforming how products are developed, purchased, used, and replenished. As appliances become increasingly intelligent and autonomous, these innovations are creating new opportunities and challenges for manufacturers and consumers alike. With the emergence of "physical AI" — robotics and AI-enabled technologies that interact directly with the physical world — the role of the consumer is also evolving. Will consumers continue to use cleaning and floor care products themselves, or will they increasingly rely on autonomous systems to perform these tasks? And as connected devices become the primary users of certain products, how might that change the way companies approach product development and formulation? This session will explore how emerging technologies are shaping the future of household and commercial products, with a particular focus on AI adoption in the cleaning and floor care sectors. Panelists will discuss opportunities for collaboration between appliance manufacturers and consumer product companies to ensure product compatibility, performance, and safe use, as well as the evolving expectations of consumers and regulators. Attendees will gain insights into how these technological advancements could influence the way companies formulate, design, manufacture, package, market, and sell their products.

Speakers:

Jacob Cassady, Director of Government Relations, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

Sohrab Haghighat, Co-Founder and CEO, Hestus

Mike Sanders, Senior Design Director, Procter & Gamble

Manmit Shrimali, CEO & Founder, Turing Labs

AI & Sustainability 101: Building a Baseline for Responsible Growth

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how organizations operate, creating new opportunities while introducing emerging environmental, operational, regulatory, and governance considerations. This session will demystify key AI concepts and terminology relevant to sustainability, giving attendees a shared vocabulary and foundational understanding of how AI technologies work.

The discussion will connect these concepts to real-world environmental and business implications, helping participants better understand AI’s sustainability opportunities, risks, benefits, and tradeoffs. Attendees will explore AI’s balancing act – from the energy, water, and land use demands associated with data centers and computing infrastructure to hardware, supply chain, and operational considerations.

At the same time, the session will examine how AI can advance sustainability goals through improved data analysis, resource and energy efficiency, emissions measurement, optimization, and better-informed decision-making. The session will also address the evolving state, federal, and corporate landscape and introduce key governance, data privacy, and responsible-use considerations for organizations.

Speaker:

Rochelle March, Co-Founder and Principal, People Places Words Actions (PPWA)

Sustainable Innovation Powered By AI

Building on the foundational concepts explored in AI & Sustainability 101, this interactive session will move from understanding AI to seeing how it can be applied to real-world sustainability challenges.

Through live demonstrations, Neta AI and Turing Labs will showcase how AI-powered tools can support more sustainable product and packaging innovation. Neta AI will explore applications for sustainable packaging, while Turing Labs will demonstrate how AI can accelerate R&D and formulation.

Attendees will see these technologies in action and gain a practical look at how AI can help teams evaluate options, uncover insights, and make more informed decisions as they develop the next generation of products and packaging.

Speakers:

Grace Lam, Co-Founder, Neta AI

Manmit Shrimali, CEO & Founder, Turing Labs