From superapps to digital immune systems, here is what the future has in store for us!
2022 was a great year for the tech innovation space. We saw a lot of unique inventions enter the market. From a tool that tells you to evacuate the room when it detects the COVID-19 virus to solar panels that can be placed on your room like shingles, some extraordinary products have made their way into our lives.
But with 2022 done and dusted, it is now time for us to look towards the future to find out what we can expect from technology in the coming years. Here is a list of the larger tech trends that are predicted to emerge in the next year.
AI as a decision-maker
Throughout 2022, we saw artificial intelligence (AI) become more commonplace. People have begun using AI for creative practices, like creating art and writing content. But, as the new year rolls in, it is predicted that businesses will put a greater level of trust in AI’s ability to make decisions. To do so, the decisions made by AI need to make sense to human beings. Thus, companies are putting significant effort to make an AI’s decision-making and data collection process easily understandable.
One of the projects in this direction is the talent management tool created by the U.S.-based company Beamery. The tool is meant to help companies manage their relationships with employees/potential recruits. The company says that its tool gives applicants an idea of the roles they would be suited for. It also provides recruiters with a set of parameters that they should consider when selecting different applicants.
Superapps
A superapp is an umbrella application that provides a wide range of services in the same application. These apps typically have a set of core internal features and then have a network of miniapps that can be downloaded and removed from the main app based on the needs of the user.
One of the best examples of this is the Chinese app WeChat. The miniapps under it allow you to do almost everything, from making payments to hailing cabs and booking doctor’s appointments. As of 2022, it has 1.31 billion active users, and it has successfully become a crucial part of the everyday lives of the Chinese public. By providing a lot of services together, these super apps eliminate the need for individual applications for each and every service the user may require. This has inspired tech giants, like Facebook, to create a superapp of their own.
It’s important to note that this trend might not be an entirely good thing for the average person. This is because these superapps are like the Jack of all trades— they do a lot but don’t do anything particularly well. Think of it this way, you could buy clothes at a Walmart or a niche clothing store. The difference is that the latter would give you a richer experience and greater variety. Another major concern is that these superapps would give way to a monopoly over the software-as-a-service (SaaS) market and user data.
Digital immune system
A digital immune system is a combination of technologies and professional practices that are put in place to reduce business risk. Digital immune systems operate the same way our body’s immune system does: they identify attacks to the normal functioning of a business and independently deal with them. There are six main pillars of a digital immune system, including—
- Observability: Creating a digital infrastructure that makes it feasible for IT professionals to find and deal with problems at a fast pace
- AI-augmented testing: Automating the testing process of the digital infrastructure
- Chaos engineering: Performing experimental tests to find vulnerabilities
- Auto remediation: Automatic correction of the faults that are present in the system
- Site-reliable engineering: Providing uninterrupted service to the end-users
- Software supply chain security: Ensuring that risks are dealt with at every level of the software’s life cycle
Virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse
It is impossible to finish a discussion about up-and-coming tech trends without talking about the metaverse. Tech giants, like Meta (previously Facebook), and retailers, like Walmart, have been putting a lot of time and effort into creating a truly immersive metaverse experience for their brands. Similarly, VR headsets are also becoming better and better with time. They now provide features, such as using sensors to make your avatar mimic your facial expressions and haptic feedback, i.e. using touch to communicate with users. A combination of virtual reality and metaverse can provide a more personal way of communicating with people on the internet.
One of the main things these trends have in common is that they can have far-reaching effects on how businesses operate. While some, like using AI in decision-making, might simplify tasks, others, like Superapps, may eat into the business of small-scale startups. As long as we know what to expect, we can take steps to prepare for the changes these technologies might bring.
Also read:
- 6 Tech Trends Accelerated by COVID-19
- Top 5 Tech Trends Defining Luxury Brands
- Top Five Cleantech Trends in Asia
Header image courtesy of Freepik
