Technology has continued to evolved in recent years, helping humans make seemingly impossible strides in today’s moving world. From smartphones that allow people to stay connected with virtually anyone, to devices that are able to interpret human language and emotions, technology has become a stable. As a result, it is becoming more important to understand the advances that technology has already made, and what they expect for the future. The following examines important trends in technology to look for throughout 2018.
The Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things, or known as IoT, is quickly becoming more prominent in today’s world. IoT describes smart devices, including wearable technology or smartphones, that can gather and store data while having the ability to connect to the internet. IoT devices not only allow data to be stored, they have the ability to be connected with other smart devices as well. Additionally, the technology involved with IoT devices will allow people to access the device remotely. For example, a person who wants to turn a light on or off remotely will have the ability to do so with IoT technology. The future of IoT shows incredible promise, with the hopes of making a more connected world.
Artificial Intelligence
The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for a long time, but there has been incredible progress with the technology. In general, AI refers to a computer system’s ability to perform tasks that require human intelligence. Examples of human intelligence include speech recognition or decision-making. Advances in artificial intelligence not only allows the technology to interpret information that is presented to it, but there are now examples of the technology directly interacting and interpreting humans. A well-known example of artificial intelligence is the Amazon Alexa.
Automation
Tasks that could only be completed by a human was slowly becoming more obsolete, thanks to advances in automating technology. As technology continues to grow and advance, so is its ability to interpret information and carry out functions based on that given information. While this has proven to make many things more efficient and quicker to complete, the increase in automation has adversely affected many jobs, especially blue collar work. According to Forbes, as automation continues to advance, up to 47% of American jobs could be placed at risk of being replaced, though it is still not known what jobs will be at risk moving forward.
Understanding how technology is influencing today’s society will help us get a better idea of how it will affect us in the future.