As the CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, with more than 2,200 companies as members, Gary Shapiro needs to have his finger on the pulse of innovation. That's because he oversees CES, the world’s biggest technology event. But he also sees it as his duty to defend against those forces that he believes threaten innovation and the overall health of the technology industry in the U.S.

And during a recent candid interview, it became clear that while there is much to be excited and optimistic about as we enter 2019, there's also cause for concern.

These are just some of the highlights:

• 5G and AI are going to be the two biggest themes of CES 2019, and they'll be coming together in autonomous vehicles and health care. Expect big announcements from AT&T, Verizon and others. Shapiro says the word "handheld," so expect 5G phones and not just 5G-enabled hotspots.
• Shapiro is not pleased with Facebook’s multiple privacy scandals, saying "they clearly violated consumer trust." Worse, "they poisoned the water" in the debate over how to best balance privacy and innovation.
• On China tariffs, President Donald Trump "is just wrong when he says that the Chinese companies are paying. No, the American consumer is paying." However, Shapiro says, "Trump is right that the Chinese have been unfair in their treatment of American companies," especially around stealing intellectual property.