Last year we kicked things off by talking about the coolest inventions brought into existence by South Africans. This year, we’re taking it up a notch and diving into the top tech trends in 2023 we think people should be ready for.
This should take you around 9 minutes to read, so strap on your futurist tendencies, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s review the emerging tech trends that will shape our digital world over the next 12 months.
The metaverse is becoming (more) real
Remember those movies about plugging into an online world and living vicariously through your avatar? That’s kind of what the metaverse is, with its immersive internet experience. And this year, the metaverse is going to become more real through advancements in augmented reality, virtual reality, and avatar technologies.
Microsoft is already developing metaverse platforms for collaborating on digital projects, other companies are starting to use metaverse tech to conduct training and onboarding, and Accenture has built their ‘Nth Floor,’ a virtual world that features replicas of real-world Accenture offices to allow employees to carry out HR-related tasks without being physically present.
There’s no doubt that this trend will accelerate in 2023, so start imagining a world in which you or your employees enter a stunning online office, conduct business in your finest corporate gear, and wave presentations in and out of focus as you wow clients and bosses alike. All from the comfort of your couch and slippers.
Digital twinning for the winning
This is more of a continuation, because twinning was already happening. This year, though, our research says that the gap between our physical world and the digital 1 is going to get even closer due to advances in digital twin technology.
Essentially, this tech creates a digital representation of a real-world product, process, or operation. The point is to be able to test new ideas under every possible condition in a safe, digital environment… Minus all the risk and high costs associated with real-life experiments.
This year, there’ll be even more digital twins, from factories and machinery to cars and precision healthcare.
Let’s print the world in 3D
Alongside the rise in digital twin tech in 2023, we’ll also see designers and engineers use these virtual tests and then create components using 3D printing technology.
A flipping cool example of how this works lies in the Formula 1 world. Formula 1 teams use all that data collected during races, including race track temps and weather conditions and then stream this data to digital twins of the engines and car components so they can run scenarios and allow for design changes on the fly.
From there, 3D parts are printed based on the results of the testing, which the teams can use to take their testing to the next level.
Robots are becoming more human
Wondering why this trend even matters? Seriously, why does it matter that robots will become even more like humans in appearance and capability? Look, we’re not totally sure. It’s kind of nifty to think that we could live in a world with ‘robot butlers,’ which Elon Musk is reportedly working on.
What’s more amazing, though, is to think that we could be building robots to provide necessary functions to those in need, like companions for the frail and elderly. Well, this is the road we’re on in 2023 when it comes to robotics.
AI is going everywhere
Artificial Intelligence has been around for a short while, but in 2023 it’s going to become even more real, enabling any business to create more intelligent products and services.
You’ve probably already experienced AI without noticing it. Some fashion and beauty retailers have been known to use AI tech on their websites to recommend clothes and lipsticks that match your style and size.
In particular, this year should see AI augment more jobs in every business process across industries. To put it more simply, retailers will use AI to manage and automate the complex inventory management processes that happen behind the scenes. For example, we’ll see more convenience trends, like buy-online-pick-up-at-curbside, buy-online-pick-up-in-store, and buy-online-return-in-store.
Tech is going to be more sustainable in 2023
We can admit that we’re a little addicted to technology. We love our phones, tablets, and smartwatches, which is why the king offers super cheap portable possessions insurance for your gadgets and gizmos.
What most of us don’t know is that the tech we love is made up of rare earth components. Also, services like Netflix and Spotify, use vast amounts of energy to run their massive data centres. Thankfully 2023 will see a drive towards more sustainable tech, which is a good thing because we like this planet and we want it to survive for as long as possible.
So, which of these trends has you the most excited? We’re no stranger to innovation ourselves, having pioneered the decreasing premium model in the insurance world.
If you know about anything cool in the tech space that we didn’t mention and you think it’s worth sharing with the rest of us, then what are you waiting for? Share!
