TECHNOLOGISTS from both industry and media say that 2024 dawns with the promise of a technological renaissance, a year where the boundaries between the real and the digital blur further.
Here is a collection of technology trends for 2024, based on information gathered from the technology industry experts including Alibaba Cloud, Bentley Systems, Deloitte, Fortinet, IBM, Kaspersky, Netsuite, Rockwell Automation, Sophos and various media industry analysts.
The rise of personalized digitalization via generative AI. Imagine a world where AI isn’t just a faceless algorithm, but a collaborative artisan, creating content and molding products prompted by specific instructions. This can be done quickly using smaller, focused generative AI models.
The integration of artificial intelligence into businesses will intensify. In a presentation late last year, at NetSuite in Las Vegas, the automation of enterprise resource planning platforms was front and center indicating a shift in accounting and finance, taking away the heavy lifting from employees. The advent of no-code AI platforms, featuring user-friendly interfaces, will empower even non-tech companies to adopt AI, enhancing their products and services with smarter capabilities.
Reskilling, not robots. While AI automates certain tasks, it doesn’t spell the end of human jobs. Instead, 2024 ushers in an era of upskilling and reskilling. Workers will embrace new skillsets to collaborate with these intelligent machines, becoming adept at managing, interpreting, and guiding AI’s outputs. This human-machine synergy will redefine productivity, unleashing untapped potential and fostering a workforce ready to navigate the dynamic tech landscape.
This shift is already evident in sectors like retail. For instance, Stitch Fix employs AI-driven algorithms to curate clothing selections that align with individual customer preferences and sizes.
Another significant development in 2023 will be the rise of contactless and autonomous shopping experiences. AI technologies will streamline the purchasing and delivery processes, making transactions more efficient for consumers.
Quantum leaps in communication. The once-fantastical concepts of entanglement and superposition are poised to become reality, because quantum computers will enable people to communicate seamlessly across vast distances. This opens the door to unprecedented collaboration, scientific breakthroughs, and a paradigm shift in how we share information.
With the potential benefit (and threat) of quantum computing looming, the digital fortress needs a security upgrade. Post-quantum cryptography will build impregnable walls around our data, ensuring our secrets remain safe even in the face of these next-gen machines. This digital arms race will be a silent battle fought in the unseen realms of code, safeguarding our information in the quantum age.
Smarter, not harder. Brute force computing is taking a backseat to intelligent optimization. Businesses will become data management ninjas, leveraging existing infrastructure and specialized hardware like neuromorphic chips. Non-binary computing, long relegated to the theoretical realm, will find practical applications in specific tasks, unlocking a new wave of efficiency and performance.
Drowning in data? not anymore: As the data deluge intensifies, businesses must become data management maestros. Automation, seamless integration, and real-time analysis will be the cornerstones of success. Imagine information flowing effortlessly, readily yielding insights and driving informed decisions. This data-driven dance will be the key to harnessing the power of information without succumbing to its overwhelming tide.
Factories take flight in the industrial metaverse. The Metaverse isn’t just for gamers anymore. Augmented and mixed reality are poised to revolutionize the industrial landscape. Immersive training simulations will equip workers with unparalleled skills, while optimized workflows will boost efficiency and safety. Prepare to see factories transformed into interactive spaces, where humans and machines collaborate in a virtual ballet of productivity.
Electric skies (and roads). Will 2024 be the year when the skies buzz with the hum of electric engines? Maybe not yet, but it will the the year of testing and complianace. Personal eVTOLs were the stuff at both CES 2023 and the Japan Mobility Show last year. It is thus easy to comprehend that in the next 5 to 10 years, pending regulatory and safety compliances, people carrying drone will soon fly above Makati and BGC. Other forms of EVs that aren’t cars are already starting. In the US. Tesla’s electric truck, the Semi are now hauling cargo across the mainland. In Taiwan, Gogoro EV bikes and scooters are the rage. The prediction is that in selected roads in selected countries fully autonomous, driverless vehicles will be normal transportation.
