Dubbed the industrial revolution 2.0, digitization is consuming our world at an exponential pace. Every new year nowadays seems to bring some technological leap that would have been unimaginable just a few years prior. New technology brings about augmented capability that allows us to conceive and realize newer tech even faster.
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But what are some technology trends being conceived right now that will define the next decade? What are some theoretical concepts being worked on that may come to fruition this year? All this and more, as we try to extrapolate current technological trends and discuss what innovations to look forward to in 2023.
Artificial Intelligence
The concept of AI is no 2023 novelty; it has been under the spotlight for some time now, but this year promises to bring major enhancements to existing AI systems. Namely, conversational AI and interactive AI assistants are seeing major improvements driven by big data to the point where these automated systems are indistinguishable from human interlocutors. As more streams of data get incorporated into AI software, AI is going to get even more sophisticated and capable, able to take over increasingly complex tasks from human beings.
Many people are worried that AI and robots will take over their jobs. Truck drivers may be the first in line, but there will inevitably come a time when AI can fake creativity to the point where they produce essays and papers on highly specialized subjects for struggling students. But until then, research paper writing services are to your rescue. Today, only a highly-qualified team of academic writers knows how to cope with college assignments, even with strict requirements.
Wearables and Augmented Reality
What began as smart fitness watches that measure heart rate has now unfolded into a plethora of wearable technology meant to enhance our productivity, efficiency, and situational awareness. The infamously disastrous Google glasses that tried to kick off this trend may have flopped, but many other similar renditions hit the right spot and are getting traction. The biggest focal points are augmented reality, meant to superimpose useful data into our field of view and give us Iron Man-like vision, and VR glasses, which open up an entire virtual universe for us to explore. Both of these are definitely going to find useful applications in learning as well and help worldwide education enhance the learning process and make it more engaging for students. Perhaps, more students will start to see their education in another way.
Robotics
Robots of today are smarter than ever, adapting to their surroundings and doing tasks without human assistance. The term "cobot," or "collaborative robot," was coined to describe a type of robot that can operate in tandem with people without interfering with their workflow in particular sectors. For now, we regular folk may have to make do with an automated vacuum cleaner, but soon, robot helpers like in the movie I, robot may be a regular thing.
Self-Driving Vehicles
Although not in its complete sense, some limited versions of autonomous vehicles like Google’s Waymo, Uber’s self-driving taxi, or Tesla’s auto-pilot mode are already available. But those are far from being fully road-ready and years away from being implemented on a large scale. Incremental improvements in Lidar and SEDAR technology, however, are bringing the eventuality of autonomous cars ever closer, so maybe 2023 will be the year someone finally comes up with a workable prototype.
There are too many avenues being pursued by the tech industry to explore in depth in one article, so here’s a quick rundown of a few other areas to keep an eye out for in 2023. Explore at your discretion.
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Gene editing;
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Facial recognition;
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Quantum computing;
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Nano-technology;
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3D printing;
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UAV proliferation.
Final Thoughts
Many sci-fi concepts people were looking forward to turned out to be dead ends. Hoverboards from Back to the Future people were poking scientists about resulted in nothing more than a totally anticlimactic handle-less segway that catches fire. We might not have colonized Mars or invented feasible flying cars by now, but there is no doubt many other wondrous technological innovations are on their way. What we discussed are inevitable innovations that are well on their way and have significant groundwork, but why stop there? Try to stretch your imagination even further. What do you think the world will look like 50 years from now? For inspiration, here’s how one artist from the early 1900s saw the future. Balloon-supported lake walking. (Cocaine was legal back then)
Author’s bio
Diane Sherron is a student coach and a freelance writer specializing in technical articles. Having chosen ICT as her central niche, she is an expert in all aspects of digital technology and innovation, especially educational technology trends. College students who struggle with recurring academic essays and tasks find her writings particularly helpful.
