TECH4GOOD
2023 has been a whirlwind year for digital technology. This was the year when AI became rogue and vogue. Generative AI such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing Co-Pilot may have defined the digital landscape last year. It was also a year of significant technological advancements and breakthroughs in other areas that are beginning to reshape how we live, work, learn, and play. But buckle up because 2024 promises to be a landmark year and will blow 2023 out of the water.
2023 will be remembered as the year when AI technology became democratized and accessible to ordinary individuals. Artificial intelligence has indeed crossed the threshold from being a futuristic concept into an everyday reality. From a breakthrough that suddenly popped out in late 2022, it became a tech phenomenon last year that allowed millions to experience the power of Generative AI platforms. My first Tech4GOOD column in 2023, titled Digital Detox, was entirely generated using ChatGPT.
This year, we will see the beginnings of an “AI Everywhere” society. Many technology thought leaders even consider AI potentially having a more significant and profound impact on humanity than electricity. The transformative power of AI is expected to disrupt every aspect of our lives, be it jobs, workplaces, learning, healthcare, finance, relationships, and shopping, among others. The office, as we know it, is on borrowed time. 2024 will see the rise of hybrid workplaces powered by AI and virtual reality.
Globally, governments will continue to struggle to develop policies that will put safety guardrails on the application of AI. In the Philippines, we see a number of proposed legislations being introduced to reduce the negative impact of AI, mainly on jobs. Most of these proposed AI bills are amusing to me personally. AI legislation should prevent deepfakes and misinformation, ensure privacy and a safe cyberspace, promote innovations, and upskill our workers to get them ready to work with AI and keep their jobs.
There was also much talk about the potential of the metaverse and Web3 last year, which has captured everyone's imagination. Virtual and augmented reality experiences are becoming increasingly immersive and interactive, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds, creating a new phenomenon called ‘phygital,” where physical and virtual interactions coexist. This year, many Metaverse believers expect activities on the technology to expand and shift into high gear.
2023 was also a year when cybersecurity took the spotlight in the Philippines. We saw an increased number of high-profile cybersecurity incidents led by the ransomware attack of a government insurance agency, highlighting the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures. It was also the year when geopolitical tensions started to enter cyberspace, sparking a number of cyberattacks globally.
Cybersecurity threats have become more sophisticated and widespread with our increasing reliance on digital technologies. As technology becomes more complicated, so too do the threats we face. 2024 will see an increased focus on cybersecurity, with innovative solutions emerging to combat evolving cyber threats. Thankfully, the government and businesses invest heavily in cyber defenses while researchers try to stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape.
Blockchain technology took a good amount of beatings last year brought by the high-profile cryptocurrency news, particularly about the collapse of leading exchanges. But blockchain is not just about Bitcoin. As a technology, it is expected to mature this year, with new use cases emerging in supply chain management, digital identity verification, healthcare, real estate, and more—2024 promises to be a breakthrough year for blockchain.
Sustainable technology is also expected to take root this year. As climate change concerns escalate, the tech industry looks to take a greener turn. Data centers, notorious for their energy consumption (driven mainly by the increasing use of AI), will become green by utilizing more energy-efficient cooling technologies. Technology companies will finally embrace sustainable materials and processes to reduce their environmental footprint.
Quantum computing made significant strides in 2023, with researchers making progress in developing the technology that is supposed to solve complex problems much faster and more efficiently than classical computers in use today. But 2024 will finally be when quantum computing is expected to crack the code. Once confined to theoretical physics, it is now on the verge of revolutionizing everything from drug discovery to materials science.
2024 promises to be a year of mind-boggling technological disruptions that will reshape our lives in ways we can only begin to imagine. So, hold on tight, embrace the change, and get ready to ride the waves of the future! But, let us also not forget that, as with any new technology, game-changing innovations both have benefits and drawbacks.
Wishing everyone the best of 2024! ([email protected])
(The author is an executive member of the National Innovation Council, lead convenor of the Alliance for Technology Innovators for the Nation (ATIN), vice president of the Analytics and AI Association of the Philippines, and vice president, UP System Information Technology Foundation.)