1. AI everywhere
In 2023, artificial intelligence in organizations will become real. Code-free AI with an easy drag-and-drop interface will empower any business to harness its power to create smarter products and services.
We are already seeing this trend in the retail market. Stitch Fix uses artificial intelligence algorithms to recommend clothes to its customers that match their size and taste.
Contactless, autonomous shopping and delivery will also be a huge trend for 2023. Artificial intelligence will make it easier for consumers to pay for and receive goods and services.
AI will also augment almost every job in every business process across industries. More retailers will use artificial intelligence to manage and automate the complex inventory management processes that happen behind the scenes, so convenience trends such as curbside online shopping (BOPAC), online shopping in-store (BOPIS), and buy- online-return-in-store (BORIS), will become standard.
AI will also drive the latest autonomous delivery initiatives that retailers are piloting and deploying, and more and more retail workers will need to get used to working with machines to do their jobs.
2. Parts of the Metaverse become real
I don't particularly care for the term "metaversion", but it has become shorthand for a more immersive internet where we will be able to work, play and socialize on a permanent platform.
Experts predict that metaversion will add $5 trillion to the global economy by 2030, and 2023 will be the year that sets the direction of metaversion for the next decade.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies will continue to evolve. One area to watch is the work environment in the metaverse – in 2023, I predict we will have a more immersive meeting environment where we can talk, brainstorm and co-create.
In fact, Microsoft and Nvidia are already developing a metaverse platform to collaborate on digital projects.
We will also see more advanced avatar technology in the new year. An avatar—the presence we project when we engage in metaversion with other users—could look exactly like us in the real world, and motion sensing will even allow our avatars to adopt our unique body language and gestures.
We could also see the further development of autonomous avatars with artificial intelligence that can act as our representatives in the metaverse even when we are not logged into the digital world.
Companies are already using metaverse technologies like AR and VR to conduct training and onboarding, and this trend will accelerate in 2023. Consulting giant Accenture has already created a metaverse environment called Nth Floor. This virtual world contains replicas of Accenture's real offices, so new hires and existing employees can perform HR-related tasks without having to be present in a physical office.
3. Progress in Web3
Blockchain technology will also advance significantly in 2023 as companies create more decentralized products and services.
At the moment, for example, we store everything in the cloud - but if we decentralize data storage and encrypt that data using blockchain, our information will not only be more secure, but we will have innovative ways to access and analyze it.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) will become more usable and practical in the new year. For example, NFT concert tickets potentially give you access to backstage experiences and memorabilia. NFTs can be the keys we use to interact with the many digital products and services we purchase, or they can represent contracts we enter into with other parties.
4. Connecting the digital and physical worlds
We are already seeing a bridge emerging between the digital and physical worlds, and this trend will continue into 2023. This connection has two components: digital twin technology and 3D printing.
Digital twins are virtual simulations of real-world processes, operations or products that can be used to test new ideas in a secure digital environment. Designers and engineers use digital twins to recreate physical objects in virtual worlds so they can test under every imaginable condition without the high cost of real-life experiments. In 2023, we will see even more digital twins, from factories to machines to cars to precision healthcare.
After testing in the virtual world, engineers can refine and modify the components and then create them in the real world using 3D printing technology.
For example, Formula 1 teams currently collect data transmitted from sensors during races and track temperatures and weather conditions to see how cars change during races. They then transmit data from the sensors to digital twins of the engines and automotive components, triggering scenarios to make design changes on the fly. The teams then 3D print car parts based on the results of their testing.
5. An increasingly modifiable nature
We will live in a world where we can change materials, plants and even people by modifying them. Nanotechnology will allow us to create materials with completely new properties, such as water resistance and self-healing capabilities.
CRISPR-Cas9 has been around for a few years now, but in 2023 we will see gene editing technology accelerate to give us an increasing ability to "edit nature" by altering DNA.
Gene editing works a bit like word processing, where you can cut out some words and add others - but you can do it with genes. Gene editing can be used to correct DNA mutations, solve the problem of food allergies, increase the health of crops, or even modify human characteristics such as eye and hair color.
6. Quantum progress
Right now, there is a worldwide race to develop large-scale quantum computers.
Quantum computing, which uses subatomic particles to create new ways of processing and storing information, is a technological leap that is expected to bring us computers capable of working trillions of times faster than the fastest traditional processors available today.
A potential danger of quantum computing is that our current encryption practices could be rendered useless – so any country that develops quantum computing on a large scale could break the encryption of other countries, businesses, security systems and more. This is a trend to watch closely in 2023 as countries like the US, UK, China and Russia pour money into the development of quantum computing technology.
7. Advances in green technology
One of the biggest challenges facing the world right now is curbing our carbon emissions to address the climate crisis.
In 2023, look for continued progress in green hydrogen, a new clean energy source that produces nearly zero greenhouse gas emissions. Shell and RWE, two major European energy companies, are creating the first major green gas pipeline from wind farms in the North Sea.
We will also see progress in the development of decentralized energy networks. Distributed power generation using this model provides a system of small power generators and storage that are located in communities or in individual homes – so they can provide power even when the main grid is not available. Currently, our energy system is primarily dominated by huge gas and energy companies, but decentralized energy initiatives have the potential to democratize power around the world while reducing carbon emissions.
8. Robots will become more human
In 2023, robots will become even more human-like – both in appearance and capabilities. These types of robots will be used in the real world as event greeters, bartenders, receptionists, and companions for older adults. They will also perform complex tasks in warehouses and factories as they work alongside people in manufacturing and logistics.
One company is working hard to create a human-like robot that will work in our homes. At Tesla AI Day in September 2022, Elon Musk unveiled two prototype Optimus humanoid robots and said the company would be ready to take orders within the next 3 to 5 years. A robot can perform simple tasks like lifting objects and watering plants - so we may soon be able to have "robot butlers" helping around the house.
9. Progress in autonomous system
Business leaders will continue to make progress in the creation of autonomous systems, especially in the area of supply and logistics. Many factories and warehouses have already become partially or fully autonomous.
By 2023, we'll see even more self-driving trucks and ships, as well as delivery robots — and even more warehouses and factories implementing autonomous technology.
Ocado, the British online supermarket that describes itself as "the world's largest specialist online grocer", uses thousands of autonomous robots in its highly automated warehouses to sort, lift and move food. The warehouse also uses artificial intelligence to place the most popular items within reach of robots. Ocado is now rolling out the autonomous technology behind their successful warehouses to other grocery retailers.
10. More sustainable technologies
Finally, in 2023 we will see a shift towards more sustainable technologies. Many (if not most) of us depend on technology like our smartphones, tablets and computers – but where do the components to make our favorite gadgets come from? People will think more about where the rare earth components for things like computer chips come from and how we consume them.
We also use cloud services like Netflix and Spotify, which still run in huge data centers that consume huge amounts of energy.
In 2023, we will see a continued push for greater transparency in supply chains as consumers demand that the products and services they invest in are energy efficient and supported by more sustainable technology.
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