The Top 7 Tech Trends in 2023 You Must Be Ready For

Robert_Stark

Today's information age is driving incredible advances at tremendous speed. With over 8 billion digital voice assistants, Artificial intelligence (AI) will be everywhere in 2023, including your workplace. Cloud computing will drive next-level gaming, and quantum computing is closer to reality. The metaverse will shape our society's future

Which technologies are gaining the most traction? What are the most critical trends that you should prepare for? 

We look at the top seven emerging tech trends in 2023 that will drive growth and innovation worldwide and shape our digital lives.

1) AI everywhere 

AI hype is massive. You can see it all around you now, from virtual assistants to self-driving cars. Google boss Sundar Pichai declares that AI will be "more profound than fire, electricity, or the internet." How will AI change in 2023?

According to IDC research, AI technology spending will break $500 billion in 2023. The expenditure will accelerate for:

• AI Hardware: more robust, faster hardware is required to comprehend and decipher the reams of data we generate daily. 
• AI Services: are set up on the cloud to make AI more accessible as they are pre-configured and reduce cost with a pay-as-you-go approach.

With AI, automation will continue tasks that used to be done manually in organizations. No-code AI uses intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces to program without writing a line of code. This will allow businesses to create more intelligent products and services. Stitch Fix uses stylists and AI to predict and recommend clothes their customers love.

AI company OpenAI has just released a chatbot, ChatGPT, that can write code, answer questions, and solve problems. It could be a game-changer for businesses as it can understand and respond to natural language queries.

AI can be a driver of sustainability as it can scan satellite images to identify deforestation and illegal rainforest logging activity. 

2) Cloud computing will drive next-level gaming 

The mass adoption of cloud computing has been a critical driver of AI adoption, remote working, and gaming. The cloud has brought us streaming services, including Spotify and Netflix, and the expansion will continue across gaming in 2023, with Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, and Amazon leading the charge. Cloud gaming searches have grown by 317% in the last five years.

With chip shortages making consoles harder or more expensive to obtain, cloud gaming allows you to bypass costly hardware by hosting and running the games on remote servers. In 2024, the global cloud gaming market could hit 6.3 billion dollars.

3) Quantum computing is closer to reality 

Quantum computing (QC) will revolutionize our world over the next 25 years. Classical computers view the world in binary, as either 0 or 1 or off and on. Quantum computers, however, can explore the gray area in-between, allowing them to calculate things that were once thought impossible. This allows quantum computers to delve into the uncertainties of the natural world and increase our ability to quickly analyze large amounts of data. Scientists used quantum computing to study wormhole dynamics at the close of 2022.

According to the International Energy Agency, buildings' cooling systems make up roughly 10% of human electricity consumption. With quantum computing, scientists created a transparent window coating that cuts the need for air-conditioning by a third. Combining machine learning and quantum computing can test virtual mixtures and material combinations within fractions of a second.

For example, QC can revolutionize pharmaceutical drug discovery. New drugs often take $2 billion to research and over ten years to reach the market after discovery. Quantum computing could cut costs and make R&D dramatically faster by making drug design more efficient with less dependence on trial and error. A faster R&D timeline can get drugs to patients more quickly and efficiently, saving lives or making sick people healthier. 

4) Enter the metaverse 

A metaverse is a vision of the internet's future being an immersive, collaborative, interactive virtual world. It envisions a 3D virtual reality where our avatars roam and experience life in ways that can't be lived in the physical world. The metaverse isn't yet a reality, despite Facebook's rebranding to Meta in 2021.

As 2023 comes into focus, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology will continue to rise. VR/AR headsets are expanding with more company releases:

• Meta: Meta Quest Pro 
• Microsoft: HoloLens 2 
• Apple: xrOS (TBC) 
• Google: Project Iris (TBC)

According to IDC, worldwide spending on AR/VR has reached $13.8 billion and will hit $50.9 billion in 2026. So, as the headsets continue to mature and with the emergence of blockchain technology, users can securely own virtual items and trade them in a decentralized manner. This trend has enormous potential for gaming, business, and even education to increase digital communication and remote collaboration.

As companies continue to build products and services tailored to the increasingly digital world, it is clear the metaverse will likely shape our society's future. Gartner predicts that by 2027, over 40% of large organizations worldwide will have metaverse-based projects. Microsoft highlights how Mercedes-Benz has reduced travel by 40% with remote assistance for its technicians with AR.

5) Sustainable technology for a greener world 

Consumers look towards green credentials and seek purposeful, sustainable technology, so brands would be wise to lead this shift to sustainable living. Sustainability covers environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts.

In 2023, all businesses will be under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint and minimize their environmental impact. A switch to sustainable technology increases the energy efficiency of organizations and their customers through the following:

• Renewable energy 
• Automation 
• Traceability 
• Apps to help customers improve their sustainability

According to Accenture, companies that switch to cloud-based services can reduce energy usage by 65% and carbon emissions by 84%. We're on the cusp of a new era of sustainable technology that can give us greater flexibility and improve ESG outcomes.

6) 3D printing for rapid prototyping 

From medical advancements to the production of everyday items, 3D printing is quickly becoming one of the most powerful tools for modern innovation. As this technology becomes more accessible, it revolutionizes how we think about product design and manufacturing. Not only does 3D printing reduce production costs and waste, but it also increases the speed and accuracy of product creation through rapid prototyping.

When the COVID pandemic hit, global supply chains were fractured in the healthcare and medical equipment industry. 3D printing helped with the shortage of PPE and ventilator parts.

With widespread applications ranging from medicine to engineering, it's no wonder that experts are predicting a bright future for this groundbreaking technology. The global 3D printing market is expected to expand by 20% annually, reaching revenues of $76 billion in 2030. 3D printing enables customized and personalized products that consumers will continue to crave.

7) New energy solutions for a cleaner, greener world 

One of our biggest challenges is reducing carbon emissions to tackle the climate crisis. Renewable energy is the future, and new energy solutions come from natural sources, including:

• Sunlight: Solar Panels 
• Wind: Wind farms 
• Water: Hydro Energy 
• Tides: Tidal energy

In 2023, cleantech investment will soar to over $600 billion. Battery storage will be a key as the energy grid becomes increasingly decentralized with the global shift towards renewables. AI advances have led to massive innovations in energy storage that optimize power production through real-time monitoring of weather conditions and optimize efficiency through predictive analytics.

With governments focused on energy security and reducing energy costs, 2023 could catalyze a cleaner, greener economy with accelerated deployments of renewable tech worldwide.

To stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing world, businesses must invest in sustainable technology and shift towards digital solutions in 2023. These 7 tech trends will shape the future of digital innovation, and organizations and individuals who embrace them will be in a solid position to succeed.

*The opinions reflected in this article are the sole opinions of the author and do not reflect any official positions or claims by Acer Inc.

About Robert Stark: Robert is a Taiwan-based writer and digital marketer at iamrobert design. He has a passion for helping people simplify their lives through tech.