Where Tech Development is Going in 2020

Whether it’s big corporations future-proofing their operations or startups looking to seize the opportunity, certain sectors of the tech world will see some heat in 2020. Even taking a look at a typical invention trade show, you will notice a prominence of certain trends within nearly all product types.

People have very high expectations of 2020, and it’s not just hype of starting a new decade on a nice round number. Exciting things are happening in the world of tech, and this article will highlight the trends to look after this year.

Artificial Intelligence

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed AI being bundled together with just about any tech invention or startup. Just go ahead and search through the number of artificial intelligence patents that exist, and you’ll see where research and development have been going in recent years.

With edge computing being developed, server back-ends may be able to handle larger AI algorithms much better. Companies like Cerebras are making “brain chips” with the idea of mimicking the structure of the brain for deep learning. If you are looking to start an AI-based invention or startup company, pay close attention to these new toys being developed.

Blockchain & Decentralization

Blockchain technology is no longer a new concept and everyone knows about it thanks to the prominence of Bitcoin. Of course, there is more to this market than creating digital currencies and making investments. The blockchain allows for a plethora of uses when a trustless system is needed.

While there have been lots of novelty uses with the blockchain, financial and big data companies are developing practical uses for it. Ideas are being implemented into healthcare records, finance, cybersecurity, and data protection. You should keep an eye on IBM and Alibaba as they are actively working on products to be implemented for private and public institutions.

Another idea would be patent offices implementing an incorruptible means of storing patent information with a blockchain. As an investor, you would need a means to protect your invention, and filing a patent with your government is the first course of action. This is why some startups are toying around with the idea of patent back-ends that cannot be tampered and logs publicly viewed, so you don’t have to put so much faith in functionaries.

Mobile Networking

Cellphones are definitely the backbone of modern society, and with people wanting more instant gratification, there is a demand for faster mobile internet. This is why there is a demand for 5G networking in many cities around the world or “4.5G” where it’s not yet allowed. Especially considering the uses of cellphones and computers are starting to merge, the speed barrier between wired and wireless internet is disintegrating.

This demand isn’t just in developed urban centers, but even in rural areas. With satellite internet projects like Starlink in the world, high-speed internet coverage may be more than a pipe dream for even undeveloped countries. According to this published paper that aged quite well, worldwide coverage could be viable with just a handful of satellites.

Commercialized Quantum Computing

Having the ability to handle large quantities of data is always something desirable and quantum computing is suggested as the answer to this. It’s been a term kicked around for many years without much appearing outside the labs of large companies.

With quantum computing being able to solve and crack the most complicated algorithms, there is already the demand to improve cryptography. Just last year, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) already demonstrated some solutions that can be safe in a post-quantum computing world.

While big corporations may make quantum computing viable for commercial applications, some have predicted it’s prominence in the consumer market by 2040. Of course, it’s hard to say why the average person would need a quantum computing processor on their laptop, so it’s all theoretical.

In the past year, IBM, Google, and Alibaba had already moved their data into quantum computing and there are even some new startups in the game. Keep an eye on companies like Rigetta and QC Ware when it comes to the production of quantum computing solutions.

As the hardware sharpens and becomes more affordable, we will likely see ground-breaking advancements in nearly all industries. This could include modeling prescription drugs with unbelievable precision or perhaps even figure out the paradox of black holes.