Berkeley’s Tech Trends for 2024

In 2023, generative AI dominated the headlines, owing to the major advances in the technology showcased across tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Midjourney’s AI art generator. These systems quickly evolved from novelties to essential business tools, with companies around the world scrabbling to include AI solutions in their product portfolios.

Now, as we start a new year, we are left to wonder which trends will have the biggest impact over the 12 ahead. Will AI continue its dominance? Will the robot uprising begin? Will Elon put the final nail in Twitter’s coffin?

While the answers to these questions are uncertain, there is no doubt that 2024 will see some exciting developments across the technological landscape. And for those already tired of hearing about AI; you might want to brace yourselves for the tech trends expected to shape the year ahead:

Voice first apps

Voice-first apps are likely to evolve over the course of 2024. Historically, these have been unreliable at best. You ask Siri to call someone and end up speaking to someone completely different, or you try to set a timer and quickly find out it is far easier to just do it yourself manually. They have also been limited in the processes they can control and the responses they can provide.

With the proliferation of large language models, however, their capabilities are rising exponentially. These devices now how the ability to become far more conversational and can be used in new ways such as for booking appointments, screening calls, waiting on hold or even answering more complex follow-up questions akin to ChatGPT.

Quantum Computing

Another technological trend poised to make significant waves is quantum computing, which offers the power to process huge amounts of data at breakneck speeds. This is a technology that will have a far-reaching, industry disrupting impact, and many see 2024 as the year in which we will start to see its capabilities demonstrated.

One particular area that quantum computing is set to disrupt is cybersecurity. We are already witnessing a cyber arms race, where each leap in computing power needs to be counterbalanced by stronger digital defences, including the use of AI and Machine Learning in threat detection and response. However, the sheer power of quantum computing is introducing a new kind of threat, one that could potentially make our current encryption standards, obsolete.

This shift in advancements in quantum computing has necessitated the development of quantum-resistant algorithms. These are critical for maintaining data privacy and security in a future where quantum capabilities could easily outstrip traditional encryption methods.

So why does this matter? This paradigm shift in cybersecurity is not just a technical update; it represents a fundamental change in how we protect digital data.

RaaS, Robots as a service

With media speculation and AI horror stories painting a dystopian view of the future, do we really want to give artificial intelligence a physical form? It looks like we do. Because, in 2024, we can expect to see some major advancements in robotics.

By utilising the recent breakthroughs in AI, companies are bringing robotics to new areas outside of manufacturing and retail (self-checkouts if you’re wondering). We anticipate these new robots being used more across industries such as transport and logistics, hospitality, and entertainment, automating new processes and reducing menial labour. Thankfully, these are still quite simple robots, so we have a good few year to plan our strategies to fight off the Terminator.

Neuralink Clinical Trials

While X (formerly known as Twitter) might be struggling, Elon Musk’s other, other company, Neuralink, has been making waves as it aims to create a direct connection between our brains and our bodies – intending to effectively ‘heal’ paralysis and other long-term disabilities. Human trials have already been approved, receiving interest from thousands of people, though these trials could take up to six years to complete..

In the meantime, several other companies are looking to produce a range of medical devices that interact directly with the brain, as technology continues to have a major influence on the future of healthcare..

The possibilities of Neuralink technology are undoubtedly exciting, but with the reports of animal welfare violations, I might wait until the consumer version is released.

Conclusion

As 2024 unfolds, the tech landscape is brimming with potential, promising to reshape our lives in way we’ve only begun to imagine. The challenge will be ensuring these advancements remain not only innovative but also ethically sound and universally beneficial.

This year we can expect to see a fascinating interplay between advancements in AI and robotics, and the impact this will have on various industries. In this whirlwind of technological advancements, staying informed and adaptable will be key to harnessing the potential of these emerging trends – as we journey though another extraordinary year of tech evolution.