From advancements in the items we use every day to complete alterations in reality, here are some of the most exciting trends to look out for in the 2020s.
The world is changing, fast, and it’s all thanks to technology. The mind boggles just thinking about how much has changed in the last 10 years alone. And the decade we’re in now promises to bring with it even more progress. Here are 13 tech trends that will shape the next decade.
1. Artificial intelligence
There’s no doubt about it: artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most extraordinary and notable tech trends to date. Because of AI, machines are getting more and more intelligent all the time, and it’s having a significant impact on the way we live our lives.
2. Chatbots
Thanks to AI, natural language processing is coming on in leaps and bounds. We may only just be starting to use Siri and Alexa regularly in our everyday lives, but chances are that will accelerate massively, especially since a lot of businesses are starting to introduce voice interfaces.
3. Facial recognition
Our tech isn’t just getting chatty. It’s getting a lot better at recognising us, too. Everything from smartphones to security cameras is interpreting us and the world around us, and for a variety of different reasons. Some machines are even learning to track our emotions.
4. The Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is basically a fancy term for the fact that more and more of our everyday items are getting a digital upgrade. So, growing numbers of previously uninspiring products are going to be able to connect to the internet and transmit data.
5. Wearable tech
Sort of an extension of IoT, the rise of wearable tech for sure defined the previous decade. And, with consistent progress being made in the industry, it looks as though it’s going to help define the current one, too.
6. 5G
The world is gradually moving towards 5G connectivity – and it will mean far more than just faster smartphones. Technology blogger, Antoine Bechara says, “With manufacturers across the world working on 5G devices, we are going to see significantly faster broadband that can help power future trends, including automation and the continued rise of IoT.”
7. Digital realities
Virtual reality (VR) is becoming increasingly sophisticated. In the coming years, it will combine with augmented reality and mixed reality, to create more immersive and believable digital experiences.
8. Self-driving cars
Uber wasn’t around back in 2010. So, by 2030, who knows how else the landscape might have changed? You could end up hailing a ride in a self-driving car in the not-too-distant future, while trucks and ships are likely to become autonomous, too.
9. Agricultural advancements
Food waste could be a thing of the past with the latest technological advancements in the agricultural sector. Between the farming companies improving the efficiency of crop growth and the robots designed to harvest them, we could be at the dawn of the new agricultural revolution.
10. DNA editing
From the food we eat to who we are, technology really is changing the game. These days, thanks to advancements in analytics, we have a greater understanding of how human genomes work and how to alter them. With progress being made with an eye to “editing” diseases, DNA editing looks set to make waves in the healthcare sector.
11. Brain mapping
Neuroscientists are hoping to use the latest technology to map out the most complex of all living structures: the human brain. Projects ongoing in the US and China are currently mapping out the neurons and connections in the mouse brain, and in the near future, they want to do the same with the human brain, too. The hope is that we will come to better understand human nature.
12. Cloud robotics
Robots with huge data banks stored in their “brains” are on their way. Using the cloud, robots will be able to see, hear, and understand the world around them.
13. Blockchain
With the blockchain, you can create a super-secure chain of data. Any information added cannot be deleted, and no one person can take complete control. It means that the process of storing and protecting data will be that much safer, which has the potential to improve the security of everything from surveillance systems to business transactions.
