Contrary to popular belief, the Metaverse is gaining traction, with experts predicting that the Metaverse will add up to $5 trillion to the global economy by 2030. However, 2023 will influence the direction the project will go for the next decade or more.
This $5 trillion influence comes from the inevitable improvement of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), which the Metaverse relies upon. Furthermore, work environments will be more optimized and local as the Metaverse will provide virtual meeting rooms for teams to talk, co-create, and brainstorm. It's also worth mentioning that technology giants like Nvidia and Microsoft are already developing Metaverse platforms for digital projects and collaborations. There's also an improvement in Avatar technology, which presents users exactly as they do in the real world, adopting their body language, gestures, and other features.
Furthermore, several companies are adopting Metaverse technologies like VR and AR to conduct employee onboarding and training in a safe and risk-free environment. Trends like these accelerate the complete implementation of the Metaverse and 2023 will be another big step for the virtual world.
Multiple systems employing artificial intelligence and machine learning are prevalent today from mobile phones to smart homes. However, 2023 will see AI become dominant in organizations; for example, No-code AI, with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, allows businesses to output more products and services at less cost.
Other ways AI plays an important part in business and people's daily lives are product recommendations or sorting. For example, Stitch Fix employs an AI-powered algorithm to suggest clothes to customers according to their size, preference, and other factors.
Artificial intelligence also makes contactless and autonomous shopping and delivery possible and will be a significant trend in 2023. Essentially, this technology allows customers and shoppers to receive services and goods and also pay for their purchases. Additionally, retailers, especially eCommerce stores will employ AI technology to manage their inventory, automate complex and repetitive processes, recommend options to customers, and more. Therefore, popular trends on convenience like buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS), buy-online-pickup-at-curbside (BOPAC), and buy-online-return-in-store (BORIS), will be prevalent.
Every depiction of the future in science fiction involves robots with speech and external features indistinguishable from humans. This factor may become reality soon as advancements in robotics put us one step further in creating these human-like robots. One company working hard to achieve this gold is Tesla, on Tesla AI day, Elon musk revealed two Optimus humanoid robot prototypes. The CEO further stated that Tesla will be taking orders for these advanced machines in 3 to 5 years, meaning 2023 brings us closer to actualizing this future.
These humanoid robots will function as greeters, companions for adults (especially older adults), bartenders, concierges, and more. They will also perform complex tasks in factories and warehouses and work alongside humans to produce more output with little financial resources and manpower.
Quantum computing is the future of digital technology as it possesses the power to outperform current computers in significantly large amounts. In fact, News reports on Google's Quantum computer were so fast upon release that it only needed 200 seconds to solve a complex problem that will take the world's fastest supercomputer 10,000 years.
Currently, the world is n a race to develop quantum computing at scale, which is a complex feat since these computers use subatomic particles to create new ways of processing and storing information. It is a technological leap that brings humanity computers that operate trillions of times faster than traditional processors.
Companies at the forefront of quantum computing in China, the UK, the US, and Russia pour money into developing Quantum computing and 2023 will be another step toward achieving this goal. However, quantum also presents some qualms like rendering all current encryption practices useless resulting in security issues for businesses, governments, and more.
In previous decades, digital assets were only accessible via a screen but recent advancements in technology allow us to grasp the digital world in the palm of our hands. The two primary factors contributing to this merger are 3D printing and Digital Twin technology. Digital twins are virtual simulations of real-world operations, products, and processes, allowing individuals and establishments to test a new idea in a safe and risk-free environment. Therefore, engineers and designers employ this technology to recreate real objects in a virtual world and perform different experiments with little to no financial cost or real repercussions. For example, car manufacturers and other factories use digital twin technology to test their products for whether they meet specific standards. After testing, the engineers will modify the product until they meet their desired objectives.
This technology is prevalent in Formula one teams who use data transmitted from race care sensors to monitor how the vehicle operated under specific conditions. This information allows them to run scenarios on a digital twin of the engine until they achieve a satisfactory objective. It's also worth mentioning that 3D printing technology can be used to produce this digital twin or its components, thereby shortening the time and labor needed to see results.
Technological innovations happen continually and these processes project humanity into a more sophisticated riddled with efficacy and efficiency. So far, 2023 will contribute to the actualization of the technologies listed above with some needing more time to grow while others may see full implementation before the year concludes.