Technologies of near future: Which sectors will be trending in 2023

Blockchain, unmanned cars, artificial intelligence, quantum computers. There has been a lot of talk about all of these in recent years. Analysts have presented what technology trends they think will be key in 2023.

Metaverse

A year ago, almost no one was talking about the metaverse. However, in 2022 this word became the second in the list of applicants for the title of "word of the year" according to the Oxford dictionary, and in 2023 the metaverse promises to become almost the main technological trend, analysts of the Info-Tech Research Group note.

Metaverse is a digital simulation of the three-dimensional world using virtual and augmented reality tools. American technological giants Microsoft, Google and Meta are now considered to be the leaders among the creators of metaverse.

So far, none of these companies has managed to create a successful product based on the metaverse. First of all, this is due to the high cost of the technology needed to realize the metaworld. For example, only 9% of the worlds in Meta's Horizon Worlds are visited by at least 50 people a day. And most of the remaining worlds have been empty since creation. In addition, most Horizon Worlds users abandon the app after the first month of use.

But the prices of virtual and augmented reality devices are gradually decreasing, and more and more major companies, such as McDonald's, Lego, Walmart and Victoria's Secret, declare their desire to be represented in the metaverse. According to a survey conducted by YouGov, almost half of the respondents (44%) said they would like to work in the metaverse and believe it can improve their productivity.

Analysts predict that 2023 could be crucial for the meta-universe industry in the next decade. Whichever direction this development takes, the metaverse could be complete by 2030, according to experts. Add $5 trillion to the global economy.

Adaptive and generative AI

According to the same Info-Tech study, artificial intelligence will be the most in-demand investment in 2023. 35% of the companies surveyed indicated that they have already invested in artificial intelligence, 44% of respondents said they plan to invest in this technology next year.

Analysts identify two types of artificial intelligence that IT companies will pay attention to and invest in. According to experts and analysts, adaptive and generative artificial intelligence will become a new trend.

Generative AI uses neural networks to study large amounts of data and create its own unique content based on the acquired knowledge. This can be images, videos, music, etc., which, for example, can be used in entertainment.

Adaptive AI, as the name implies, is capable of adapting to changing conditions and tasks. It uses large amounts of data for continuous self-learning and is capable of solving problems that were not originally conceived by humans in the algorithms. This type of AI can significantly improve the efficiency of organizations that need to respond quickly to external changes.

Moving from the cloud to edge computing

Cloud technology has already proven to be a reliable tool for digital transformation. Cloud providers eliminate the need for businesses to purchase server hardware, maintain it themselves, and worry about protecting servers. In addition, cloud solutions provide companies with business flexibility. If necessary, companies can easily increase their capacity as well as get rid of excess capacity.

However, cloud technology also has its disadvantages. In some cases, the speed of data processing is extremely important; for example, in cloud games, for smart car control systems, in the creation of "smart cities" with an advanced network infrastructure. Cloud providers' data centers can be very far from the endpoints transmitting information to each other. That's why companies have begun to think about using edge computing.

This technology involves processing information in servers that are as close to users as possible. This reduces network response time and increases network throughput. According to ReportLinker, the market for edge computing will grow rapidly in the coming years. The average annual growth rate between 2022 and 2028 will be 21.6%. And Precedence Research predicts this market will last at $51.2 billion in 2023.

Genetic Engineering

2020 Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Charpentier and American Jennifer Doudna recently won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic modification technology, known as "Genetic Scissors." It can theoretically be used to edit human DNA and get rid of mutations and diseases. In reality, it would take a long time to do so. Scientists around the world have concluded that the technology is not perfect enough, and in human experiments, unplanned changes can easily be made to the genome. The consequences of such a mistake could be catastrophic. But scientists can easily experiment with inanimate organisms.

Futurist Bernard Marr believes that genetic engineering will be a major technological trend in 2023.

And the use of nanotechnology will help humans change the nature not only of plants, but also of materials, giving them completely new traits: water resistance or the ability to self-repair.

Super Applications

Super apps combine the functions of a mobile app, a platform, and an entire ecosystem. Back in 2010, Mike Lazaridis, one of the co-founders of BlackBerry defined a super app as "a closed ecosystem of multiple apps."

Super apps are created only by large IT corporations. The most prominent examples are China's WeChat, which unites thousands of different applications for literally all areas of life, China's AliPay, Malaysia's Grab, and, of course, the American Facebook and Uber. Among such ecosystems created in Russia are Yandex, Tinkoff, and Sberbank.

Such products have been on the market for several years. But analysts from Gartner included them in 2023 in the top 10 technological trends. The analytical company predicts that by 2027, more than half of the world's population will be active users of at least one of the super-applications.