Every tech trend starts as a niche thing, and it eventually evolves into a global phenomenon. Prior to 2017, few people knew about Bitcoin, and even these people were skeptical about it ever becoming a mainstream thing. Today, everyone regrets not buying it sooner. The same thing happened with AI; while some were doomsday preaching, others saw this trend as nothing other than a gimmick. Now, this trend is reshaping the world as we know it. Which other trends might follow the footsteps of these two? Well, here are nine you should definitely look out for.
1. Generative AI
We live in a world where more content is consumed than ever before. Even with huge teams, keeping up with the market’s needs seems hard. Fortunately, with the help of generative AI, this will no longer be a problem.
First, search engines are becoming increasingly tolerant of content not made by humans. Second, even if you don’t use it to produce an entire article, you can rephrase, simplify, or at least get an outline/inspiration. Remember, finding topics for two articles per week can be challenging after a few years.
It wouldn’t be that far-fetched to say that 2023 was when generative AI peaked; it shows no signs of stopping in 2024, either.
2. 5G
This factor is a bit complex for many reasons. No one denies that 5G networks offer lower latency, higher capacity, and increased bandwidth than 4G. No one also denies that there are more mobile than desktop users, which further moves the 5G network to the priority list.
There are, however, so many problems with this technology from the start. First, there’s political friction between the US and China, slowing down the adoption of this technology in the states. One of the side effects of this is the fact that there’s a weakening demand for 5G equipment in North America.
The problem is that the technology itself is incredibly advanced and that there’s such a need for it that its adoption cannot be postponed indefinitely.
3. Crypto adoption
Some people may find it strange that some predict that next year will see significant growth in crypto adoption. First of all, the years of big crypto value booms (2017 and 2021) are already behind us, and while many people prophesied that BTC would breach $100k, it still hasn’t happened.
Second, last year, with the entire FTX and NFT controversies, there seem to be more crypto-skeptical people than ever. Still, this can be interpreted the other way around. Crypto is still there, even after many falls and controversies. Truth be told, it has persevered much more than a lot of people would expect it to. So, instead of dismissing it entirely, you might want to start considering what altcoins to buy since Bitcoin already seems to have passed its peak.
4. More datafication
Datafication is so important because now we finally have the means to do it the right way. So many items are smart and Wi-Fi connectable, meaning they feed data straight into the server without you even having to do anything about it. To do this successfully, you need a good internet connection to ensure there is no delay or interruption in feeding data back. To ensure that your internet is good enough, you might need to switch to fiber internet Port Charlotte, which is known for its fast loading speeds and ultimate connectivity.
Moreover, all the work now occurs via platforms that can be integrated with document management systems or even intelligent information management systems. This means that even the fact that a piece of data is unstructured is no longer an excuse. It still happens automatically.
With more data, businesses, manufacturers, and developers can easily create superior products. Even more important than just the data is the fact that we now have the computing power to analyze it the right way around.
5. Advanced automation efforts
Automation is the name of the game. Each platform’s value is determined by its ability to act autonomously. The advancements in the field of NLP and AI ensure that even some of the more complex tasks can now be handled by an automation platform. This has moved the standards and expectations of the industry quite drastically, and the needle may keep moving in the right direction.
Just keep in mind that while this automation is possible, it still requires competent oversight by specialists. In other words, these AI tools aim not to replace humans. Sure, fewer people will be involved, but they’ll all be specialists and paid much higher. It’s expected that AI will create more jobs than it destroys.
6. Blockchain
With more and more business taking place online, the security of database distribution becomes an even greater priority. This is why so many businesses are looking into how blockchain technology can help them streamline their procedures and keep it all a lot safer.
The biggest problem with data is whether it can be trusted. What if someone intercepted it or tampered with it? This was always the risk, but the thing is that there was never so much at stake. The value of digital assets is just incredible, increasing all the time. Even the most traditional enterprises in the world have embraced a virtual work environment, at least in some form or format.
7. Edge computation
This concept is fairly unfamiliar to many people, and it involves processing data closer to the place where it was generated rather than waiting for it to be centralized. This means that you get more reliable and faster data processing and the chance of data being stolen, tampered with, or corrupted in the process is much lower.
The main advantages, however, are those regarding the system’s efficiency. The latency is lower, the bandwidth is more efficient, and the scalability is far higher.
One of the most important things is that edge devices can keep functioning even when disconnected from the internet. This makes them incredibly well-suited for a mobile-heavy work environment.
8. Predictive analytics
The main reason we can’t predict the future is that we never have all the data. The more available data, the higher our chances of making an accurate guess. Today, however, we’re closer to this concept than ever before.
First, you have more than 65% of the world with access to the internet (all feeding some sort of data into the digital world). Then, modern AI tools boast incredible computing power and unprecedented accuracy in making these analyses.
Real-time predictive analytics could completely transform the decision-making processes as they are today, not to mention a small fortune you could save on predictive maintenance.
9. Full-stack development
This, too, is hardly anything new but has been gaining momentum lately: developing front-end and back-end components simultaneously. This means working on database management, server configuration, and business logistics, as well as handling the UI and UX aspects of the platform.
The main reason why a trend gets adopted is the fact that it’s efficient and convenient. Full-stack development is much quicker and more versatile. It also allows developers to keep full ownership of the project, which can come in handy in surprisingly many scenarios.
This is also amazing for prototyping, and with so many startups competing for such a small market, this is a bigger advantage than you think.
You should track even those trends that you don’t intend to use yet
All tech trends have one thing in common – they start niche and become universal. How many people played video games 40 years ago? How many people had mobile phones 30 years ago? How many people knew about BTC just ten years ago? By following the same pattern, it’s clear that you shouldn’t dismiss any potential tech trend, no matter how insignificant it may sound.
