4 Minute Read
2023 produced so many emerging technologies that their pace of growth quickly became outdated with more emerging technologies, that we could barely keep up with it all.
Let’s take a look at three of the top technology sectors we saw explosive growth within 2023, all of which are still emerging and hear what's predicted by startup founders, VCs and scholars for the future.
1. GENERATIVE AI AND ROBOTICS
Starting the list it's no surprise generative AI and Robotics will be trending and promises a bright future for those who master these technologies across fields such as artificial intelligence research, data science, and creative industries.
Lama Nachman, director of intelligent systems research lab, Intel Labs
Next year, I believe there will be more focus on progressing generative AI, advancing human/AI collaboration and responsibly developing AI technologies so they do not marginalize people, use data in unethical ways or discriminate against different populations. As thousands of companies across all industries continue to make AI breakthroughs, 2023 will be a foundational year for the industry to collaborate and transparently share learnings to mitigate risk and further drive innovation.
Diego Pantoja-Navajas, VP, AWS Supply Chain
We are looking forward to better, more predictive supply chains that can anticipate what customer demand cycles will be, as well as anticipating what likely supply chain risks will be and ways to overcome them. Advances in AI and machine learning move quickly, and we believe that supply chains will benefit from these developments in a very significant way in the coming years.
Ken Washington, VP & GM, Consumer Robotics, Amazon
In 2023, robots will evolve to play a more important and useful role in our homes and businesses. They will develop the ability to have more sophisticated interactions with humans thanks to enormous advancements in AI and machine learning, such as breakthrough multimodal abilities that enable robots to learn new things similarly to how we as humans learn. They will perform useful tasks, entertain, and provide companionship to their owners.
Rajesh Ganesan, President at ManageEngine
Privacy and AI governance will become a top business priority Although 2023 has witnessed numerous regulations across geographies—including the EU’s AI Act, the UAE’s Data Protection Act, and India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act—these are indicators that a further inflow of similar policies is imminent. With AI being integrated into every aspect of business, disruptive technologies (such as deepfakes and augmented reality) threaten privacy and pose significant risks. These technologies should be placed under a keen watch for both public and private use. As an effort to ensure ethical, transparent, and fair use of the technology, AI governance will become of paramount importance to businesses. Privacy will be the core of every business going forward and protecting it will become the responsibility of every individual in the organization.
2. CRYPTO AND WEB3
Web3 is already here. The evolution of Web 3.0 is more than a technological revolution; it’s a shift towards a decentralized, secure and inclusive digital world. 2024 Web 3.0 trends will continue to evolve with advancements in (AR/VR) to experience Web3 and AI used in the context of Web3 will deliver faster and more precise information while also personalizing search engine results based on individual user preferences.
Kendrick Nguyen, co founder and CEO, Republic
Tokenization will transform the relationship between companies and their communities. It will become the norm for companies of all shapes and sizes—not just “Web3 companies”—to offer their communities of customers, fans, and supporters upside in their growth via a token issuance. Tokenization unlocks retail participation in private markets via liquidity, fractionalization, quick settlement, and transparency, which benefits both sides of the transaction.
Sajid Sadi, chief executive, Samsung Neon (AI)
I feel like we had a lot of hype and snake oil in crypto until 2022. With the “crypto winter” that’s happening right now, there is a lot of effort to take a real hard look at the underlying fundamentals, and how those fundamentals are governed, supported, and ensured for the layperson user. Now that we’ve given the whole mess a good shake, I expect the bad actors and shamans to desert the ship, and for a new era of responsible and business-mined crypto to take its place and start delivering some meaningful non-get-rich-quick results.
Harry Stebbings, Founder of The Twenty Minute VC and of 20VC
Seeing more value captured by users, both individually and collectively, is one of the most exciting aspects of Web3. I love that all parts of the value chain can be rewarded for their contributions, along with being a part of wider communities with common goals via collectives like DAOs and digital memberships that resonate with their own interests and passions. Web3 disintermediates traditional Web2 aggregators and gatekeepers, which is key for the democratization of income creation in the digital world.
3. CREATOR ECONOMY TOOLS
Currently over five billion people use the internet. Of those, 93% are using their mobile to access the internet, spending in the region of seven hours online daily across several different media platforms. 29% of American high school students have “creator” as a preferred career choice - they want to be their own boss by immersing themselves in a world where they love creating content for their fans and make income from it, anywhere in the world. We will see more power and more emphasis on the creator economy with advanced creative tools to support creators grow their enterprise and move on from the 9-5 job.
Rex Woodbury, Index Ventures
I'm excited about three main segments: 1) creative tooling, 2) creator discovery, and 3) creator monetization. I think of these as the lifecycle of the creator. In the first bucket are technologies that unlock new forms of expression — I'm excited by VR, AR, and low-code / no-code creation tools. In the second bucket are ways that people find an audience online; the best technologies enable better community formation. And the last bucket contains ways that creators can make money. We're seeing NFTs, social tokens, and other new Web3 innovations reinvent monetization.
Yancey Strickler, Co-founder of Metalabel.xyz and Kickstarter
We’ve entered the beginning of the end of the creator economy era. Creators are increasingly burnt out and turned off by endless competition, vacuous content production, and spending more time pleasing algorithms than their actual creative practices. New structures for creativity -- built around squads, collectives, and new expressions of the label model -- are emerging in Web3 and beyond. Creators are on the cusp of moving out of the individualism of the creator economy and into a new era of creativity in multiplayer mode.
Sam Yam, cofounder, president, and CTO, Patreon
Creators are seeing how quickly trends are emerging and fading, and these rapid cycles will only continue to condense in 2023 as our collective attention span continues to shrink (with short-form TikToks, IG Reels, and YouTube Shorts!). During [the pandemic], we saw genres like crypto surge to over 100% earnings growth over two months, only to see that growth disappear within the next few months. Creators are so innovative, though, that they’re usually the first to surface these trends and shape the culture around them.
Sandy Lin (TikTok Creator)
Sustainability and longevity are huge pain points. 77% of creators rely on brand deals for the majority of their income, but brand deals can vary month to month. Partnerships are great income, but creators should be thinking about long term success. We are seeing a lot more creators tapping into NFT, subscription community, and building brands to increase income streams.
Ryan Bares, Global Social Influencer Marketing Manager, IBM
AI will revolutionize B2B influencer marketing by enhancing influencer discovery, vetting, and collaboration. Expect platforms to integrate AI for content optimization, predictive analytics, and compliance, elevating campaign strategies.
Looking ahead, it’s important to follow technology trends to stay competitive and relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Keep your eye out for the emerging technologies in 2024 to help you make informed decisions about adopting new tools, improving processes, and leveraging opportunities for growth.
CROWD X Spreadshop
In collaboration with one of our clients Spreadshop an ecommerce platform for creators to design and sell their own merchandise, we developed a unique AI experience called ‘Muse’ this year and had the honour of taking ‘Muse’ to this year's SXSW where attendees had the opportunity to brief Muse and have their design printed on to a 100% organic cotton t-shirt, or as an NFT.
It has also been showcased at the Rock am Ring festival in Germany. This annual event is considered one of the largest and most popular rock music festivals in the country boasting a diverse lineup of rock, alternative, metal, and punk bands from around the world.
As well as an AI t-shirt design based on the creators prompts, Crowd also created a 20 second music video, with original sound and visuals created purely by AI - yet another example of how merging creativity and technology can push the boundaries of self-expression, and provide new ways to engage us.
See more of Spreadshop at Rock Am Ring here
Want to create the next innovative AI or creator economy activation for your brand? Talk to us today on how you can develop your 2024 business and technology roadmap.
