2022 Tech Trends
2022 is here, and with a new year comes new tech trends! The future is always ambiguous so we combed the experts to compile 5 major technology trends to look out for this year. In no particular order, check it out:
THE METAVERSE
The metaverse, or “virtual space of the future,” made waves in 2021, but expect for it to become mainstream in 2022. This is a virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users. One of the more popular uses at the moment is personal VR devices such as the Oculus by Meta. The advancement and adaptation of the metaverse is expected to have a huge impact on industries ranging from gaming to communication and on-demand consumption.
While VR was once a foreign concept you can expect to see it become more popular in technology and even common in people’s homes.
BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY
Again, this is a technology that we heard about in 2021 but is primed to explode in 2022. In a nutshell, blockchain technology is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change transaction history, a digital ledger of transactions (DLT). Because everyone involved will have a permanent ledger that is updated with every transaction, this technology is expected to bring a new era of transparency to business transactions.
While it is most known for being a DLT for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrency, blockchain technology is also used with cybersecurity and smart contracts. Many believe that the next boom for blockchain applications will include the Internet of Things (IoT).
CYBERSECURITY
2021 saw its share of cyberattacks as we all become more digitally integrated, both on a personal and organizational level. In response to this, there is an overwhelming pressure to continue to grow and strengthen cybersecurity.
One of the contributing elements is the use of AI to support security. Not only can AI help relieve cybersecurity specialists of their daily tasks, but can also be implemented to spot security risks and learn behaviors of hackers to help prevent attacks from happening.
Another cybersecurity trend to look for this year is cybersecurity mesh. This concept is flexible architecture that enables stand-alone security solutions to work together to improve overall security. This results in being able to quickly verify identity and context across cloud and non cloud environments.
CLOUD-NATIVE PLATFORMS
As the world continues to work out of the office, cloud-native technology is only going to become more popular. Traditional cloud technologies are designed to be deployed in data centers, cloud-native technologies are actually designed and built to work in a connected, online environment - being built within the cloud.
In addition to not needing a data center for deployment, cloud-native tech is usually faster and more agile that other cloud technology. For example, Uber currently has 1,000+ services in production and deploys several thousand times each week. WeChat has 3,000+ services in production and deploys 1,000 a DAY.
AI ENGINEERING
Artificial intelligence is not a new concept to anyone keeping their eyes on technology trends, it’s become an integral part of our lives.
From data to programming, AI is integrated in various industries with a multitude of uses. Natural language processing is a major AI player this year, as the ability to automate language is something big tech is eager to utilize.
To highlight one area in particular, there is expected to be an uptick in AI tools for video in 2022, both in video editing and generation. According to Cisco, over 80% of all internet data will be video. While it is dominating data, there has been little work done on deep-learning based products - expect to see an attempt to fill this market opportunity this year.
As with any year, there is bound to be a new technology or app that emerges and becomes one of the biggest things of 2022, but our money is on these 5 to have a big part in shaping how this year’s technology looks. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2022!