Big Tech Trends in 2024
The final quarter of 2023 is well underway and South African businesses are looking forward to 2024 with an eye on the fast-developing tech sector. Let’s take a look at some of the big tech trends on the horizon as we find out what awaits us in the age of AI.
Artificial intelligence to come into its own next year
It’s hard to believe that ChatGPT launched just over a year ago, given the profound changes that this and other generative AI are bringing about in the global economy.
Here are some of the big changes we expect in 2024.
Universal access to AI
As 2023 comes to an end it seems AI is everywhere – and that means that entrepreneurs and businesses that previously didn’t have access to it can use it as a major competitive advantage going forward.
Generative AI has the potential to enhance almost every business process, from content creation to data analysis and client service. For businesses, this presents a unique opportunity to streamline processes and access as if it were done by humans.
While fears that AI would replace everyone’s job seem to be overblown, a future where creativity and strategy are formulated by human minds and routine tasks required for their execution are done by machines seems increasingly likely.
The “phygital” revolution
Just when you thought the tech sector couldn’t come up with any new buzzwords, the phygital revolution is here – and it has nothing to do with restless fingers.
- Phygital living is a term that describes our current and future lifestyle where technology has permeated almost every aspect of our existence.
- A generation ago, most meals began with a quick word of thanks or a prayer where today the first order of business is taking food pics for Instagram – and that’s just the tip of the phygital iceberg.
From these small beginnings, we can envisage a future in which wearable tech devices monitor our movements and health status, provide access to buildings and vehicles, and even replace paper money as instantaneous digital payments become more common.
A hybrid reality in which the physical and digital coexist simultaneously presents huge opportunities for app developers, hardware companies, and of course, cybersecurity specialists who will be in high demand to ensure that the devices so closely linked to our daily experience don’t get hacked.
Sustainable tech
In our previous article on sustainable IT, we touched on some of the innovations that are taking place in the tech space to ensure that we can continue to develop cutting edge technology without harming the planet in the process.
Emphasising reusable and recyclable materials in hardware development and reducing wasteful data usage to cut down on power consumption at data centres and in the crypto mining sector are just two of the steps that will need to be taken for years to come.
There are several other hot trends that you can expect to hear about in 2024 and beyond:
- Cybersecurity resilience. The sheer number of users online and the data that is exchanged on a daily basis is mind-boggling. Securing your network against the predatory behaviour of cybercriminals is no longer a nice-to-have it’s a necessity.
- Quantum Computing. The advent of super-fast computers, powered by the movement of quantum particles instead of traditional silicone chips could cause an explosion in processing speed and data handling capacity.
- Augmented HR development. Artificial intelligence can now be used to train employees and monitor their performance, freeing up HR professionals to deal with workplace issues to keep teams happy and functioning well in the AI era.
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There’s no doubt that the years to come will see an explosion of new technology including artificial intelligence – and an explosion in data and cybersecurity concerns to go along with it.
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