As the year rapidly draws to a close, it prompts us to don our analyst hats and peer into the future, anticipating the shifts, trends, and potential game-changers slated for the coming year.

In retrospect, like many others, I overlooked the vertical surge of AI this year, fostering a sense of caution in my forecasting endeavors. The intriguing aspect lies in AI’s covert movements, orchestrating undisclosed offerings that possess the potential to be equally disruptive.

Let’s delve into the imminent changes on the horizon. To cap off the year, I’ll spotlight my final Product of the Week for TECH 2024: the AI-driven SPAN electrical panel. This innovative tool has proven invaluable in my quest to identify and eliminate underutilized devices that, despite minimal usage, continue to draw substantial power.

AI Revolution

Reflecting on the past year, the vertical integration of AI took many by surprise. However, with AI increasingly operating in the background, crafting undisclosed offerings, forecasting becomes a cautious endeavor. The evolution of AI, as demonstrated at AMD’s AI launch event in San Jose, indicates a significant divergence among companies leveraging AI to propel themselves forward. While AMD is notably aggressive in this space, Microsoft is also making significant strides.

The widespread application of AI has expedited product releases, sparked innovation, and paved the way for human-machine interfaces that prioritize user preferences. Despite these advancements, 2024 is just the tip of the iceberg, as AI not only becomes integral to product creation but also plays a role in advancing its own capabilities. This self-propelling nature of AI holds the promise of rapid product evolution and capabilities that might have otherwise been reserved for the 2030s.

Electric Cars

Despite the push towards electric vehicles (EVs), resistance persists, primarily fueled by challenges in charging infrastructure. While the adoption of the Tesla charging standard could alleviate some concerns, the transition is not expected to be seamless in 2024. Existing charging stations and vehicles are unlikely to swiftly embrace the new standard, leaving potential buyers grappling with a choice between traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles or delaying their EV purchases until the charging infrastructure catches up.

Even Tesla, a pioneering force in the EV market, faces challenges, partly due to concerns related to its CEO’s actions. This could contribute to a downturn in the EV market unless swift actions and strategic decisions are made to mitigate the impact.

Autonomous Driving’s Steady Drive

In 2024, we anticipate the introduction of Level 3 autonomous cars to the market, marking a significant step forward in self-driving technology. However, the success of this technology might face headwinds due to a combination of factors. The prevalent pullback from electric cars, coupled with growing distrust of autonomous driving technology, presents challenges. 

Additionally, the adoption of a subscription model for autonomous features may struggle to gain traction unless a robust marketing campaign addresses consumer perceptions.

The potential underperformance of autonomous driving technology is a setback, considering the advancements it brings. Overcoming negative perceptions may require a concerted effort over several years to reverse the tide and showcase the superior capabilities of the new technology.

Head-Mounted Displays and New Hardware Designs

In the realm of technology, 2023 witnessed significant strides in head-mounted displays, exemplified by products such as the Rokid Max AR Glasses and Goovis G3 Max.

These developments lay the groundwork for an intriguing future where we can anticipate the emergence of more sophisticated hardware. There is a growing potential for smartphones equipped with this technology to assertively penetrate markets traditionally dominated by PCs. The quality of these displays has now reached a level of viability, creating an environment ripe for a major player to step in and introduce innovative, captivating products.

While a substantial displacement of PCs may not be imminent in 2024, the stage appears to be set for significant shifts in 2025 or 2026.

Adoption of Deepfake Technology

The discovery that AI tools can be employed to craft avatars and generate professional-looking videos using scripted narratives instead of live actors has ushered in the era of deepfakes.

Anticipate a legitimate surge in the use of this technology by media outlets, mirroring practices already established in locations like South Korea. The aim is to reduce the dependency on live TV talent. Additionally, we may witness the extension of this technology to longer content, though this is expected to be more of an exception than a rule.

As the actors’ union contract expires in three years, an influx of this technology is expected, both for legitimate and illegitimate purposes. Illicit use may include attempts to discredit opponents in elections and tarnish the reputations of targeted individuals. Consequently, 2024 will see a heightened focus on defending against the illicit applications of this technology.

Working From Home

Despite its meteoric rise during the pandemic, the work-from-home trend is poised to decline in 2024, unless another pandemic event ensues—a possibility given current developments in China.

Corporate sectors, including human resources departments, have fallen short in fostering a sense of inclusion for remote employees. There is a notable lack of progress in advancing remote management tools and retraining managers to effectively oversee remote teams. Particularly for new hires, a reversion to on-site work is anticipated to enhance the overall employee experience.

Additionally, we may witness the exit of certain videoconferencing vendors with less than 10% market share, while industry leader Zoom might find itself acquired by one of the current marginal players. Microsoft, with a 25% market share and a strong commitment to supporting remote work, is likely to stand out as an exemplar in this domain.

Digital Immortality on the Horizon

The year 2024 is expected to witness the initial instances of digital immortality, where digital clones of existing individuals will be created. While these clones won’t possess transference capability, they will offer a means for individuals to establish a lasting virtual presence for their loved ones after their passing.

Though the numbers involved in these endeavors may be limited in 2024, challenges such as cost need to be addressed to prevent mainstream adoption in the near future. This year will likely serve as a precursor to a broader technological wave, waiting for improvements and more reasonable training times to become prevalent.

Significant Advancements in Digital Assistants

The existing roster of digital assistants, such as Alexa and Siri, primarily operates as voice-to-text and text-to-voice interfaces. However, a sweeping transformation is on the horizon as generative AI tools are poised to aggressively replace these conventional models in the upcoming year. This shift promises a monumental enhancement in capabilities and intelligence within the digital assistant realm.

Anticipate a noteworthy evolution in the relationship between individuals and their digital assistants, with some opting to spend more time interacting with these AI tools than with actual people. The concept of forming connections or even dating digital assistants is expected to gain traction in 2024. However, this growing reliance on digital assistants may introduce challenges, including heightened susceptibility to aggressive hacking attempts aimed at manipulating individuals more effectively. Distinguishing between interactions with humans and AIs is likely to become increasingly challenging.

Revolutionizing Malware

The landscape of malware is set for a drastic transformation in 2024, with a marked increase in intelligence and self-propagation capabilities. Malware is anticipated to become more sophisticated, raising the risk of advanced programs breaching containment and causing widespread global damage. This elevated threat of advanced malware poses a significant challenge to companies and individuals, particularly in regions already embroiled in geopolitical conflicts.

Closing Remarks

This preview merely scratches the surface of what lies ahead in 2024. The pervasive influence of AI will reverberate across workforce dynamics, human-machine interfaces in a myriad of devices, and both beneficial and adversarial applications. While 2023 may have seemed remarkably disruptive, the coming year is poised to surpass it, foreshadowing even more profound changes in the latter part of the decade.

For those resistant to change, the upcoming decade may appear daunting, but for those who embrace and thrive on change, it presents an opportune and exciting era to be alive. Perhaps, in the face of these transformations, learning to appreciate and adapt to change becomes a crucial mantra for navigating the times ahead.

Read more: Tech Blogging 2024: Your Quick Start Guide to Success