There are some technology trends that fizz out over time and then there are some that stay on the side lines and then gain traction after it either gets a major funding or an industry suddenly integrate it in their process.
There are many such technologies that have already made their prominent mark in 2018 and are only a few more applications away from becoming mainstream. Those are the ones that we have listed as the technology that would become trending by the year 2020.
Without further ado, here are the ten technology trends for 2020 –
1. AI
Artificial Intelligence has been continuing to make its place in the list of top technology trends since quite some years.
Computers are now capable of learning about the world in the same way as us humans. This leap that AI capabilities has been possible because of the enormous increase in computing power and data. It’s this phenomenal explosion in data, which has enabled AI to advance at a lightning speed since the past couple of years; greater the data an AI has, the faster it would be able to learn and more precise it becomes.
The speed at which AI is growing will prepare it to undertake more human tasks by 2020.
Its present day tasks of enabling computers to read (studying messages and reports), see (through facial recognition), listen (by enabling Amazon Echo to answer your command), speak ( Siri being able to give you an answer) and even record emotions (through affective computing) will help AI become a technology that no longer needs human intervention to aid its learning.
2. Voice
The future belongs to Voice. The time when the only relation between voice and technology used to be when we used to talk on our mobile devices is long gone. In fact, the current time of text messaging being the frontrunner in ecommerce and a prevalent part of users’ interaction with their devices, is also slowly passing us by.
While technologies like Alexa and Siri have already acquainted us with the power of voice in conducting everyday tasks, the applications have still remained very limited. But the future that it has set for itself, has placed Voice based applications in the list of technology trends for 2020.
The near future will find itself conducting more operations with a voice command. In only a matter of time, every device that we have surrounded ourselves with, will be able to function and perform actions with a command of our voice. Mixed with Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning, voice based applications will find a greater place in users’ everyday activities.
3. NLP
In a year or two, Chatbots would have reached their market potential, with majority of the businesses employing them to redefine their customer engagement policies. However, by 2020 chatbots would reach a whole different level with the integration of NLP.
Computers, apps, and devices will now be able to understand the true meaning behind what is said. Sarcasm, puns, and double meaning contexts will be clear to the upcoming technologies with the help of NLP.
And users, will now be able to ask of things in their natural way of talking and not in words that are “right” for machines and software to understand. The complex algorithms that would go behind it, will be based on millions of computations and predictions that would be generated by mixing AI with all conversations happening between humans and their software/ device.
4. Blockchain
The rate at which Blockchain is growing has placed it at a pivotal point in the list of top technology trends 2020. Blockchain technology is definitely here to stay. While prevalent in only a handful of industries right now, by 2020 the world will see its mass adoption.
A number of new elements and processes will be added in the present day’s most disruptive technology. While there is a fair chance that ICOs won’t stick around that long as might see a fast death because of the stringent regulations.
Cryptocurrencies, the important Blockchain element, will also find itself divided in a number of currencies and would be floated in the market just like fiat currencies. People who are currently unaware of what Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies and where they can spend them, will start doing their everyday transactions with them.
5. IoT
IoT has been finding itself in the list of up and coming technologies to look out for, since the past many years.
Although, it has been a little slow in connecting devices and home with each other for quite some time, the future presents a different story for IoT altogether. Pretty much everything would be made smart in the coming time.
While still handful, it is projected that by 2020, a quarter of billion cares will get hooked by the internet, making them much smarter.
Our homes that already have a series of smart products such as TVs, water heaters, microwaves, yoga mats, and the voice-enabled personal assistants like Amazon echo, etc. Will find a series of new entries in only a matter of time.
There are already a lot of devices, but the IoT is only getting started. IHS has predicted there’ll be over 75 billion total connected devices by 2020.
6. Edge Computing
One of the least talked about technologies, will take the center stage the day IoT become a mainstream technology. While businesses are presently working comfortably in their Cloud setup, things are going to change pretty soon.
Edge computing is a computing element where everything from – information processing, content collection, and its delivery are situated close to the source of information. Latency and connectivity challenges, bandwidth restrictions, and higher functionality are some of the benefits that get embedded at the edge of the source.
Enterprises should start using edge based design patterns in the infrastructure architectures, especially in those that come with notable IoT elements. For achieving this, the starting point can be using edge-specific and colocation networking abilities.
In 2020, we are expected to witness increased attention being paid to edge computing for enabling intelligent networks, in which the connected devices will be performing the necessary analytics right at the location and would use the results for performing the specific actions. It will all happen within a few milliseconds, as compared to few hundred milliseconds – the time it takes today with cloud computing. The promise that edge computing comes with, makes it a important addition in the top technology trends 2020 list.
7. Prescriptive Analysis
While the present time is that of predictive analysis, with software giving out prompts on the basis of users’ behaviour and past interaction, in the coming time, the plethora of collected user data will help businesses in a much different way.
By 2020, along with giving businesses the data related to how users would react, technology will also guide them on how they should act when the user behave a certain way.
What was once a source of insights will now become a guide of next profitable move.
8. 5G
By the time 2020 comes, the world would be under the spell of fast internet connection and all the various perks that comes attached with it.
5g will find its place in the market very soon, bringing with itself benefits such as high internet speed, lower latency, and higher capacities. The benefits that will make it a prime technology trend in 2020 and beyond.
The benefits would make it possible for autonomous vehicles and wireless VR to work with minimal technical hesitancies. The benefit of 5G would be two-fold. Not only would it enrich the user experience by offering higher data rates when we talk by VR or AR, but it will also be much safety favouring, which is where latency point comes in.
But just how fast would 5G be? It is anticipated that when it takes 26 hours for a movie to download in 3G network, in 5G the time would reduce to 3.6 seconds.
9. Facial Recognition
Your face will become the ideal technology partner by 2020. What started with iPhone X with its face ID will be taken ahead by a number of industries who would now be using your face for a series of different applications.
From the present ability of unlocking your phone just by looking at it, you will soon be able to unlock your house and car, which would be connected with the internet. You would even be able to withdraw money from the ATM using nothing but your face.
10. Automation
Automations has moved ahead from its involvement in the production lines. There are a number of ways automation will create its presence around us by 2020.
From packaging juice boxes to delivering pizza in self driving vehicles, automation is fast climbing the food chain from doing routine tasks to a lot more complex, decision making tasks.
Mixed with Robotics, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence, processes across multiple industries like Food and Beverage, Medical, and Customer Service will become further streamlined and automated by the time 2020 hits our doors.
So here were the ten technology trends that are going to see mass adoption before we hit 2020. Are you ready for them?