As a New Year Dawns, Let’s Look at Emerging and Declining Technology Trends
2023 is now upon us and industry analysts and experts are buzzing with predictions for what we can expect from technology in the years ahead. At Eggplant, we believe the next few years (and decades) will be a pivotal time for test automation — keep an eye on this blog for some of our predictions on emerging trends in AI, DevOps, application performance management, and more.
For this post, however, I’m taking a slightly broader view. Through the remainder of the 2020’s and beyond, I think we’ll see technology impact our personal and professional lives in ways that might seem futuristic now but will soon be commonplace.
Better Vacations Drive Environmental Benefits
Say goodbye to vacation transport challenges, hotels being overbooked, or not having enough time to reach a faraway destination. Augmented and virtual reality innovations will create a new way to holiday without physically leaving your home. One day you can be scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef and the next you will be able to hike the Inca Trail. This will lessen the number of commercial flights in operation, reducing the carbon footprint from planes, which will help slow down climate change.
iDisappear
The cell phone, as we know it, will die by the end of the 2020s and be replaced by an implant. Implanted in glasses or another wearable, the device will provide all of the smartphone functionality and a host of augmented reality capabilities—making the current smartphone interface archaic.
Intelligent Transportation Hits the Fast Lane
Transportation will evolve significantly and by the 2040s, humans will no longer drive cars. Autonomous vehicles will have taken over as car insurance premiums will determine that the risks from humans driving will be too high. Digital roads and vehicles will become the norm, and the entire transportation network will be more efficient, helping alleviate traffic jams. For rail systems, signal boxes will be redundant as sensors within trains will enable them to communicate with one another—further increasing efficiency and safety.
Virtual Workforce, United
With the advent of holograms, the need to have the workforce in one physical location will disappear. People will have the flexibility to work in the way that suits them best. By utilizing holograms, they will be able to join meetings and be part of high-performing virtual teams. This trend will also end the grind of the daily commute.
The Future Beckons
Of course, it will take some time for the above trends to become mainstream. But as futurist Bernard Marr put it, “We are amidst the 4th Industrial Revolution, and technology is evolving faster than ever. Companies and individuals that don’t keep up with some of the major tech trends run the risk of being left behind.”