Science and Technology Daily reporter Liu Xia
The fireworks in the world have been the same for thousands of years, but the development of technology is changing with each passing day, and the impact on human beings is becoming more and more complex. In a recent report by the US “Forbes” biweekly magazine website, we listed five major technology trends for 2022, including artificial intelligence (AI) everywhere, the acceleration of the entire society towards digitization and virtualization, the no-code revolution in full swing, There are growing calls for regulation of technology and the growing popularity of renewable and new energy sources.
AI is everywhere
Devices powered by AI, often machine learning algorithms, will help us in increasingly innovative ways. Smart cars, for example, use facial recognition algorithms to detect whether drivers are paying attention to the road and alert them when they feel tired and overworked; smartphones use AI algorithms to do everything from maintaining call quality to helping us take better photos, and more ; even the upcoming smart toilet – which can help diagnose gastrointestinal problems by analyzing stool samples!
AI has permeated all kinds of tools in our daily lives — from voice assistants to language translation, and tools that allow us to extract structured data from pictures and handwritten notes. AI also powers the automation of many processes, relieving the workload and stress of employees in management, logistics, accounting, and human resources.
In 2022, the synergy of AI, IoT and emerging ultra-fast networks such as 5G will greatly increase our capabilities, while factors such as growing data volumes, faster networks and processor speeds come together , the impact on society far exceeds the impact of a single factor.
No-code interfaces are more popular
Another driver of social development will be the continued democratization of data and technology. In recent years, an emerging industry has emerged whose goal is to make the fruits of technological development accessible to more members of society, with the skills and tools needed for technology-led innovation.
Codeless interfaces will become more popular! OpenAI, founded by Elon Musk and funded by companies including Microsoft, unveiled Codex in August, a programming model that translates spoken human language into code. It translates English to code and is designed to take the workload off professional programmers and help hobbyists to code.
In 2022, such technologies will become more and more mature. Off-the-shelf AI solutions will apply to everything from marketing to human resources, project management, and planning and design of production processes.
Digitization and virtualization trends intensify
In 2022, the entire society will accelerate towards digitization and virtualization, and the “metaverse” will be closer and closer to our lives.
A few days ago, Facebook changed its name to Meta (the prefix of Metaverse MetaVerse), focusing on the Metaverse business, which attracted great attention. Microsoft, Apple, etc. have successively announced their entry into the Metaverse, allowing the Metaverse to “swipe the screen” in the media. The metaverse is the digital world that exists in parallel with the physical world we live in. As digital technologies continue to evolve, the Metaverse will simulate the real world with increasing precision, allowing us to experience a more immersive, compelling and ultimately valuable experience in the digital realm. While many people have experienced some sort of immersive virtual reality through headsets, a slew of new devices coming to market will greatly improve that experience, offering tactile and even scent feedback.
Ericsson, for example, has provided virtual reality headsets for employees working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is also developing what it calls the “Internet of Perception.” The company previously reported that consumers are looking forward to the emergence of a perceptual Internet in 2030, when it will be difficult for consumers to distinguish virtual experiences from reality. With the new The Matrix movie coming out, 2022 will bring us a little closer to the world the Matrix describes.
The growing call to regulate AI
Facebook’s AI tool recently identified black people in a Daily Mail video as “primates”, and a company spokesperson apologised for the “unacceptable error”. In fact, this is not the first time that AI has gone wrong. Last year, a facial recognition system led to the wrongful arrest of two black men in Detroit.
Given this, transparent and explainable AI has grown in popularity in recent years. Governments are also well aware of the need for a regulatory framework. The EU’s proposed legislation prohibits governments and related departments from using AI to create social scoring systems and the use of facial recognition tools in public places. It also lists a list of potentially dangerous impacts, including “exploiting vulnerabilities” and “causing physical or psychological harm”, which AI addresses Solution providers must demonstrate that their systems do not cause these effects in order to be allowed to sell.
But Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that while he recognizes the need to regulate AI, “there needs to be a balance” to ensure innovation is not stifled.
Finding what Pichai calls “the balance” will be a hot topic in 2022 as more people become aware of the positive and negative impacts that AI and other technological trends can have on society.
Sustainable energy is increasingly “favored”
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the production and use of renewable energy increased by 40% in 2020 compared to the previous year, and forecasts that this increase will continue into 2022. In addition, the cost of generating electricity from various renewable energy sources, including onshore and offshore wind, solar, and tidal energy, has fallen by 7% to 16%. Exciting emerging energy sources, such as biofuels, liquid hydrogen, and even nuclear fusion, are also becoming more feasible.
According to the World Nuclear News website, the US Helion Energy Corporation announced on June 22 that its sixth prototype fusion generator Trenta has reached a high temperature of more than 100 million degrees Celsius, becoming the first private fusion research enterprise in the world to achieve this milestone. The company’s latest fusion generator prototype will come online in 2022.
In addition, the “green hydrogen” energy field is also expected to add more green to the entire world. In 2020, “green hydrogen” has become the preferred future green fuel for many countries, and “green hydrogen” projects totaling more than $150 billion have been announced worldwide within one year. This trend is expected to be further manifested in 2022.