At CEDIA Expo/CIX 2025, Sonance CEO Ari Supuran demystified artificial intelligence for AV professionals in a Smart Stage session. In a presentation titled “Practical Uses of AI,” Mr. Soupran aimed to address common complaints and shed light on how AI can improve the skills of individuals and businesses.
Supran’s central message was clear. AI is not just for technical experts; it is a tool that anyone can use to become more capable and efficient. “AI is an enabler, and I believe it can improve the skills of all of us, make us more capable, more intelligent, and enable us to do things we never thought we could do,” he said. Supran also filled the session with live demonstrations and personal anecdotes to provide integrators with a roadmap for leveraging AI in both their daily lives and business operations.
Ali Soupran talks about the practical application of AI
Key highlights of the session include:
- The power of “context engineering” to create AI assistants that provide relevant, customized answers.
- The rise of “vibe coding” that allows non-technical users to build full-stack applications using natural language.
- The emergence of “agent browsers” that can autonomously perform complex tasks and troubleshoot technical issues.
Boost efficiency with context and tools
Supran started by addressing common complaints about AI, such as its lack of intelligence and its tendency to make things up. To combat this, he suggests integrators go beyond simple prompts and instead use what he calls “containers.” Also known as “context engineering,” this strategy involves creating custom environments within the AI model, such as custom GPTs or perplexity spaces, where it is given specific knowledge and instructions. By providing context about your company, writing style, and goals, AI provides better and more accurate responses. “It’s the context you give; [using] They are features built around large language models,” Soupran emphasized.
Supran also highlighted several “game-changer” tools that have transformed workflows. One such example is Wispr Flow, an AI transcription tool that integrates wherever users can type. “Instead of typing, I just press and hold like a walkie-talkie, and when I speak, it’s transcribed into text,” Soupran explained. This tool processes your audio and delivers formatted text, saving you seconds every time you use it and tons of time throughout your day.
Tools to redefine productivity
Another of Supran’s favorites is Perplexity, which he described as a combination of Google and ChatGPT. Perplexity provides cited answers instead of a list of links, allowing users to conduct research and efficiently create shareable Wiki-style pages. He demonstrated this by comparing the cost of living at Sonance’s three main offices, which would be a tedious task with traditional search engines. According to Supran, Perplexity ran the survey, compiled the data, converted the currency, and generated a shareable page in minutes.
For learning and content creation, Supran also recommended Google’s NotebookLM. The session showcased the ability to generate mind maps, study guides, and even video summaries from source documents. By uploading the dealer’s project proposal, we created a mind map that broke down the bill of materials by room and provided a visual tool for project analysis.
From “Vibe Coding” to Full Stack Applications
Much of the presentation focused on the concept of using natural language to write code and build applications, which Supran calls “vibe coding.” This approach democratizes software development, allowing business professionals to solve their own problems without extensive programming knowledge. He demonstrated this by using Anthropic’s Claude to transform a static PDF about Sonance’s company culture into an interactive scoring system in just 90 seconds. Supran says this first work was a front-end-only “micro-app,” but it opened up possibilities.
Supran has since introduced tools like Replit and Lovable that enable non-programmers to build full-stack applications with secure backend infrastructure, including databases and user authentication. “The future of computer programming languages is English,” he declared, pointing out that no coding knowledge is required in such cases. Then, to prove the point, we introduced an internal application built to audit complex UPS invoices against Sonance contracts and accurately identify overcharges.
This tool was developed based on the principles of vibe coding and has saved companies thousands of dollars and shown a measurable return on investment. The ultimate goal is not to eliminate jobs, but to empower employees, Soupran said. “It’s about freeing up our employees to focus on higher-value work that better serves our customers and strengthens our company,” he said.
Dawn of agent AI
Looking to the future, Soupran elaborated on the concept of agentic AI, where AI actively performs tasks from answering questions. He gave an example of Perplexity’s “agent browser” called Comet. A custom installer used Comet to troubleshoot complex network issues associated with a UniFi router with dual WAN connectivity. The AI agent diagnosed the problem, suggested a solution, and implemented the fix with permission. “The whole thing probably took about 10 minutes,” the installer reported after technicians wrestled with the problem for several weeks. According to Supran, this anecdote shows the potential for agent AI to revolutionize technical support and system configuration, saving integrators valuable time and resources.
final thoughts
Mr. Soupran then concluded with some thoughts he wanted the audience to think about. “Don’t underestimate the power of AI…but most importantly, don’t underestimate the power of AI. you With AI, this is possible. ”
Indeed, this session on AI with Ali Soupran served as both an education and an inspiration, proving that with the right mindset and tools, anyone can unleash the practical power of artificial intelligence.
Interested in the Smart Stage of CEDIA Expo/CIX 2025 sessions for advanced discussions? For more session highlights and industry analysis, visit the official CEDIA Expo website.
