Midway through the 4th Industrial Revolution, new technologies are emerging. There is a significant risk of companies, and even individuals, being left behind if they fail to keep up with the top tech trends. Getting a grip on the key trends allows businesses to prepare and grab whatever opportunities that come with them.
In this article, we take an in-depth look at the top tech trends of 2020 that will take businesses to the next level.
Artificial Intelligence
AI-as-a-service is arguably among the most transformative technological evolutions today. Companies are already exploring new ways of using AI to enhance customer experience and to get their business operations in line. 2020 has seen people increasingly working alongside AI, but designing and using new AI-based company systems remains costly propositions for most businesses.
As of now, the majority of the AI applications continue to be carried out through third-party providers of AI-as-a-service. This mode allows companies to feed their data and to pay for the algorithms.
Extended Reality
Extended Reality, or XR, is a multipurpose term covering a variety of new technologies to develop more immersive digital experiences. It collectively refers to augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. Augmented Reality (AR) converts digital objects onto a real-like experience via screen displays like smartphones and Snapchat filters. Virtual Reality (VR) offers a digitally immersive experience of a computer-generated world by use of headsets that bring the user to a whole new world. Mixed Reality (MR), on the other hand, is an extension of Augmented Reality, which makes it possible for users to interact with digital objects based on the real world.
Autonomous Driving
We are yet to achieve the dream of routinely travelling in autonomous vehicles, but this is one technology that is set to continue creating a lot of excitement this year.
Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO did announce that his company would create a fully autonomous vehicle before the end of 2020. The number of similar cars will undoubtedly become a common sighting, albeit operating with a lesser degree of autonomy.
Besides the automotive industry, trucking and shipping are reaping from this new technology as well. More breakthroughs in the autonomous space are expected to continue throughout the year, becoming even more prevalent in the next few years.
Computer Vision
Vision, in computing terms, refers to systems that are capable of identifying items, objects, places, or even people from visual images collected by cameras or digital sensors. This is the same technology applied in a smartphone camera to capture a face and is also used to power the Google Image Search technology.
Computer vision technology is set to be rolled out for increased roles in multiple industries. For example, it is central in autonomous driving, as it is used in how cars “see” and navigate through different scenarios.
In production lines, computer vision cameras will be employed to watch for equipment failures or defective products. Through security cameras, you will be alerted of any extraordinary occurrences without necessarily applying 24-hour monitoring.
Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology has been covered extensively in numerous platforms as an emerging tech trend, and you’re probably only getting started. Essentially, it is a digital ledger for recording transactions, but far more secure as it is encrypted and decentralized. Big brands like IBM, FedEx, MasterCard, and Walmart have invested immensely on the technology, and it is only a matter of time before other players adopt it.