(© Zobacz więcej – stock.adobe.com)
In 2021, Elon Musk plans to build a system of high-speed transport tunnels across America and to launch a project to install solar roofs that generate energy. Companies from different countries are developing flying cars and preparing them for market launch in the coming months. So, what are the leading technology trends?
Artificial Intelligence
Expected revenue from AI products in IoT will be about $15.72 billion by the end of 2027. AI technologies accompany people in medicine, economics, education, science, and even creativity. In the new year, the field of commerce will actively develop: large companies will begin to develop services for the visual and audio search of goods. It will make shopping more convenient and will increase the level of customer satisfaction. Moreover, in this way manufacturers will be able to study the audience better: they will get more accurate information about customer preferences and will be able to predict demand. They will offer customers better prices for popular products, which will cause an increase in sales. This is beneficial for both parties – customers will get what they need, and retailers will establish close contact with the target audience.
Another interesting trend in this area is formative artificial intelligence. This type of AI absorbs information from different sources and uses it to create new content – even software code. This area also includes the generation of content, such as music, images, or videos. Formative AI already now, in its initial stage of development, brings notable benefits. For example, it designs models of prostheses for printing on 3D printers and DNA molecules for genetic engineering tasks. It is even used in the best pokies software. Soon, it will help people not only to develop flawless mobile applications but also to create works of art and make scientific discoveries.
Digital-first
Mankind has been long moving towards digitalization, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the development of this trend. 25 billion devices will be connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) in 2021. This leads to the development of the concept of digital-first, in which every business should maximize its presence in the electronic environment. This greatly expands the possibilities of interaction, allowing people to order food from hypermarkets on the other side of town through apps or buy clothes from other countries on brand sites. This includes automated shopping delivery processes, online learning, and even remote employment. Digital-first also has its disadvantages: the lack of live communication.
Over the past year, people have experienced how convenient remote communication can be. Moreover, getting news, looking for recipes, or learning to draw is almost always easier online. This increases the load on IT: any business requires reliable and convenient services for interaction with clients. That is why developers will create thousands of new digital products in 2021 so that no company will be left without an audience.
Cybersecurity
People trust electronic devices with their phones, addresses, bank card, and passport data. This leads to the need to protect personal information: the number of cybercrimes in 2020 increased by 80%. Because of this, people are suspicious even of trusted suppliers of goods and services. They either refuse to buy at all, or they check vendors by all means.
Another reason for the development of cybersecurity is the increased number of remote employees. The proliferation of remote access is causing holes in security systems, making it easier for cybercriminals to access data. Employers are trying to protect themselves and their employees as best they can. In particular, this is leading to the development of multi-factor authentication.
Robotics
The global industrial robotics market is worth $16 billion. Robotization of many business processes continues to simplify people’s lives and improve business. For example, in the iFarm project drones perform two main tasks: delivering goods to customers and monitoring complex objects, such as vertical farms.
Robots can be used in the areas of construction, logistics, real estate, geodesy, and security. Our reliable mechanical assistants can already perform many complex or even dangerous tasks for humans. For example, a security guard needs a lot of time and effort to get around a huge factory; he or she can accidentally step on something, hurting the equipment. Drones will fly around the same factory much faster and safer because they will be clearly programmed. Also, robots will be able to work at high altitudes and underwater.
The internet of behavior
The development of this trend is related to artificial intelligence, which constantly monitors each of us. According to Gartner’s research, by 2023, 40% of people will be under the continuous surveillance of their devices. Search engines, voice assistants, messengers, and voice recorders actively absorb information about what you write and say. Information about your location is no secret, either. This is how neural networks learn about you, understand your needs and decide what content to offer you.
This may scare us and bring us back to the cybersecurity point; however, the better these technologies evolve, the more useful they become to humans. Even advertising is becoming of such quality that it offers users truly relevant products. In the coming year, with the development of AI, there will also be a breakthrough in Internet behavior: computers will learn to understand people better, so their interaction will become more productive and beneficial to humans.
BioTech/MedTech
People will be able to produce food with less environmental damage to the planet. The development of new vaccines and drugs will become less costly and more efficient because it will build on all previous achievements in this field. Electronic devices will relieve people of the need to perform many complex tasks. Seed Scientific predicted that the biotech industry will generate $108.2 billion in revenue in 2020.
Combined with trends in artificial intelligence and robotics, these fields will flourish. Undoubtedly, there are tasks that only humans can handle, such as accurately training animals. However, many routine and non-routine tasks are better entrusted to technology, and in 2021, humanity will have many more opportunities to do so.
Conclusion
It is difficult to predict exactly where technology development will take us in 2021. Regardless, the current developments already allow us to create the unthinkable. Yes, we are far away from moving to other planets, but maybe not as far as it seems. A lot of companies are ready to help you with your future-oriented projects.
Story by Jameson Mount
