8 Technology Trends That Will Dominate This Year

Let’s face it – predicting the future is not easy. And one lesson that we’ve learnt by now is that no matter what the future holds, technology will continue to innovate and adapt to fit our requirements. Advancements in technology continue changing our lives. The coming decade holds many changes, some already affecting our lives, and many still in the realm of speculation. However, with the entire history of human progress to draw on, it is possible to predict trends—both short-term and long-term—with a fair degree of certainty. Here, we outline eight trends that have been predicted by experts to dominate the business landscape for 2022.

1.Artificial Intelligence

The hope behind AI was to give machines human-like decision-making capabilities. While we still might be slightly away from the expected, AI has permeated through our day-to-day gadgets. The integration of AI in our lives has changed the definition of the term ‘smart’ - be it suggesting you the perfect camera shot on your phone, facial recognition in smart-cars to help you stay alert, the plethora of apps on your smartphones, or anything else. Irrespective of the industry, job function, or personal requirements, there are AI-powered tools making solutions smarter for the users. Experts predict that the tech industry will continue to discuss and develop common ethical principles, guidelines, policies and regulations to ensure that AIs currently being built will demonstrate ethical behaviours.

2.Automation

With a majority of the world still working remotely, focus on automation and reducing the human labour for subjective tasks will continue to increase. 2022 is predicted to see a rise in the use of robotic process automation, intelligent document processing and natural language processing among others. Autonomic systems will also see a rise, given that these systems can dynamically modify their algorithms without an external software update, enabling them to rapidly adapt to new conditions in the field, much like humans can.

3.Smart City Technologies

The need for more efficient cities has pushed local and central government bodies to move towards Smart City technologies. Smart Cities use data and digital technologies to enhance the quality of life and deliver relevant insights to the inhabitants. The initial deployment of these technologies across 50 global cities resulted in the understanding that even the most advanced places have room to improve. With this pilot now expanding to more and more cities, some opportunities lay at the horizon for public and private partnerships to change the economic infrastructures of the adoptive cities.

4.Sustainable Energy Solutions

The pandemic brought a shift in the energy consumption patterns due to lockdown. Non-renewable energy usage decreased globally due to shut industries and people working from home. The result was an astounding 8% reduction in emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that 40% more renewable energy was generated and used during 2020 and 2021 in comparison to the previous years and forecasts that this growth will continue throughout 2022.

5.Digitization, datafication and virtualization

The digitization of the workplace may have started as a crisis response to the pandemic but it is here to stay. With companies offering employees options to continue working remotely, increasing inclination towards VR and the introduction of the metaverse, 2022 is sure to bring a new dimension to virtualization.

6.Battery Tech

After gaining traction for the last few years, battery tech will see 2022 as a critical year for itself. The increasing inclination towards reducing carbon emissions has already brought in electric-powered cars, scooters and even aircrafts. Governments are advocating for cleaner and efficient technology and increasing their investments in electric powered devices.

7.Web 3.0

The next big trend for 2022 is Web 3.0 comprising AI-driven services, decentralized data architecture and edge computing. Artificial Intelligence improves as it processes more data. It looks at what you’re searching for and suggests additional ideas to you. Decentralized data architectures reshape peer-to-peer transactions. Edge computing, along with the rise of 5G, accelerates user connections. These three together, as Web 3.0, had to be on our list of the top trends for 2022.

8.Low-Code/No-Code Solutions

The democratization of enterprise-grade technology and data will also continue to be a powerful driver. A large part of the society has access to purpose-built solutions and tools for tech-led innovation irrespective of their technical skill or expertise. Ready-built AI solutions for various industries and job functions have led to companies deploying AI and IoT infrastructure without owning a single server or proprietary piece of cognitive code. As this grows, we will see lesser obstacles in the way of our imagination and innovation. The year 2022 will see fewer instances of people withheld due to a lack of technical skills or the appropriate resources.