This article is a translation and lightly annotated, reader-friendly re-edit of a news article from Technology Magazine (IEEE: AI, XR & cloud most important areas of tech in 2024 | Technology Magazine). For accurate content, please see the original article or Impact of Technology 2024 - IEEE Transmitter.
IEEE conducted a survey titled "The Impact of Technology in 2024 and Beyond: an IEEE Global Study," targeting 350 technology leaders from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, India, and Brazil, and released findings on the most important technologies of 2024 and their future trends.
According to the results, 65% of respondents chose AI (including predictive and generative AI, machine learning (ML), and natural language processing (NLP)) as the technology to watch most in 2024. AI is used in various ways across the global economy, and the top applications of AI for the coming year were cited as follows:
- Identifying cybersecurity vulnerabilities in real time and preventing external attacks (54%)
- Improving automation efficiency in supply chains and logistics warehouses (42%)
- Supporting and accelerating software development, and automating customer service (38%)
- Automating customer service (35%)
- Screening hiring candidates, recruiting, and shortening time-to-hire (34%)
- Disease mapping and accelerating drug discovery (32%)
- Automating and stabilizing power sources (31%)
Source: IEEE: AI, XR & cloud most important areas of tech in 2024 | Technology Magazine
| The Field Getting the Most Attention Is AI
According to the survey by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the five most important technology fields for 2024 include AI, XR (cross reality), cloud computing, 5G, and electric vehicles. AI in particular is drawing attention; its adoption is spreading worldwide, and it is regarded as the most important technology of 2024.
Source: Impact of Technology 2024 - IEEE Transmitter
It's interesting that AI draws the most attention from as many as 65% of leaders. I've certainly felt that information about AI has surged all at once over the past year, and I was amazed by the news of ChatGPT features being built into Office products.
https://www.gizmodo.jp/2023/05/microsoft-365-copilot-new-feature.html
| XR (Cross Reality) — 28% Say It's Important
XR (cross reality), a technology that includes augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), was highlighted as important by 28% of respondents. It enables efficient design, development, and safe testing of product prototypes and manufacturing processes, and is particularly valued in manufacturing and design fields.
Source: IEEE: AI, XR & cloud most important areas of tech in 2024 | Technology Magazine
The VR headset "Meta Quest 3" launched right in October, and I hear it's generating buzz for its excellent graphics performance and its ability to switch between reality and VR in an instant. Since fields like manufacturing already used 3D modeling to begin with, there may be a background that makes adoption easy.
https://vr-tips.lipronext.com/vr_goggles/meta-quest-3/
| Cloud Takes Third by a Narrow Margin
Cloud computing was also selected by 24% of respondents. As a technology that provides computing resources over the internet, it is widely used for business and personal data management, software development, and more.
Source: IEEE: AI, XR & cloud most important areas of tech in 2024 | Technology Magazine
At first I felt a little uneasy about my data being on some server somewhere, but considering the convenience and flexibility, I find myself wanting to bring cloud more and more into my daily work and life going forward. In fact, according to a survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as of 2022 about 70% of Japanese companies were using the cloud.
https://business.ntt-east.co.jp/content/cloudsolution/column-258.html
| 5G and Electric Vehicles Make the Trend List Too
In addition, 5G (22%) and electric vehicles (20%) were cited as important technologies for 2024, with attention on high-speed mobile communications and the shift to sustainable energy sources.
Source: IEEE: AI, XR & cloud most important areas of tech in 2024 | Technology Magazine
High-speed mobile communications make me look forward to things becoming even more convenient than now, and as global warming advances, the evolution of electric vehicles feels like a sign that people are shifting to more environmentally friendly means of transport.
I'm looking forward to seeing how these changes affect our everyday lives.
https://www.ntt-f.co.jp/column/0199.html
| Anticipating the Evolution of 6G
Furthermore, the evolution of 6G is anticipated in 2024, with about 90% (88%) of technologists predicting it will contribute to the development of mobile communications. Many technologists also agreed with the view that developing communications satellites for mobile connectivity will bring greater equity between some rural and developed regions.
Source: IEEE: AI, XR & cloud most important areas of tech in 2024 | Technology Magazine
In today's world, you could say mobile communications and the internet have become inseparable from our daily lives.
Going forward, 6G could let us link and share vast amounts of information, extend service areas to everywhere — including the sea, sky, and even space — and make things like projecting the image of a distant person right in front of you a reality. Science-fiction-like possibilities such as telemedicine enabling remote surgery could come to pass, realizing a new kind of society that fuses cyberspace and physical space — what the Cabinet Office calls "Society 5.0."
https://www.ntt.com/bizon/6g.html
https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/society5_0/
| Future Sustainability
Finally, sustainability was raised as an important topic. Reducing carbon emissions and developing energy-efficient products are priorities for many technologists. Meanwhile, concerns about cybersecurity continue, with data-center vulnerabilities, cloud vulnerabilities, and security issues for mobile and hybrid workforces remaining important challenges. New cybersecurity concerns are also anticipated, such as ransomware attacks, phishing attacks, and insider threats.
Source: IEEE: AI, XR & cloud most important areas of tech in 2024 | Technology Magazine
As technology keeps advancing, there are still plenty of concerns and challenges, but I feel that to address them, new technologies like quantum computing and post-quantum cryptography will be created, and the future of technology feels very appealing.
| Glossary
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
IEEE (pronounced "eye-triple-E") stands for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Headquartered in the U.S., it is an academic and research organization in the fields of electrical and information engineering, as well as a technical standards body. IEEE is an organization of engineers and researchers from around the world that promotes research and development in fields such as electrical, electronic, information technology, and communications, and formulates industry norms and standards.
Predictive AI
Predictive AI is an artificial intelligence (AI) technology for forecasting future events and trends based on past data. Used in marketing and data analysis, it is applied to predicting customer behavior, demand forecasting, risk management, and more.
Generative AI
Generative AI is a form of AI that generates new data based on given data. It learns patterns and relationships in data and generates new content, images, text, and so on. This technology is used in creative applications, put to use in art, music, design, and other fields.
XR (Cross Reality)
XR is an umbrella term encompassing augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and more — technology that fuses the real world with virtual worlds. It enables new experiences and simulations, and is put to use in gaming, training, medicine, entertainment, and more.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a technology that provides computing resources over the internet. Data, applications, storage, and the like are managed in the cloud, and users can access these resources on demand. It is used for business and personal data management, application development, collaboration, and more.
Machine Learning
Machine learning is a technology in which computers analyze data, learn patterns and rules, and make predictions or judgments about the future. It is widely used in fields such as image recognition, speech recognition, natural language processing, and predictive analytics.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Natural language processing is a technology that enables computers to understand and process human language. NLP is used in applications such as text-data analysis, machine translation, question-answering systems, and text generation.
Metaverse
The metaverse is a virtual space online where users can operate avatars to live a social life. It is a platform for experiencing virtual worlds, making use of 3D graphics and VR technology.
Quantum
Quantum is a term in physics referring to the smallest unit in physical phenomena. It has drawn particular attention in new technologies such as quantum computers.
Post-Quantum Cryptography
Post-quantum cryptography refers to cryptographic algorithms designed to withstand future quantum computers. It is developed to protect data and communications from attacks by future quantum computers.
Ransomware Attack
A type of malware. Infection occurs by opening files or URLs attached to emails, or by viewing illegitimately tampered websites.