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How will technology make 2020 better?

Feb 3, 2021 | 2020 ISSUE, TECHNOLOGY & TRENDS

How will technology make 2020 better?

2020 ISSUE, TECHNOLOGY & TRENDS

Written by Nour Hachem

2020- it’s when the world will see transformational changes that will impact our lives.
Wildfires in Australia, global warming, the spread of a deadly virus – there is no doubt that 2020 has kicked-off on a series of unfortunate events. Despite all the technological advances, it seems that none of these tragedies could have been avoided or forestalled by mankind. Although it appeared that mankind has become strong enough to rule the world, and its climate, 2020 has been a reminder that the dream of dominating the world is still far fetched and a long way into the future. As for now, the question is:
Will mankind gain control over covid-19? Will it be through technology?
There is no clear answer to when and how the coronavirus pandemic will end. However, there is a consensus that the pandemic will be halted either by developing a vaccine or by our immunity system developing resistance to the virus. The one-way mankind can certainly gain control over the situation is by managing to survive until then.

Many observations during the past two months have shown that populations, in order to maintain a routine, are relying heavily on technology, whether it is through online courses, virtual workout sessions, social media and much more. But beyond that, is there a side of technology that we have not explored yet? Will this be the surge of the digital industrial technology, known as Industry 4.0?

In fact, this year has started with many technological breakthroughs that are bound to change the way we live.

Breakthrough in Manufacturing

In the past year, artificial intelligence (AI) has been slowly integrated into our daily lives with devices such as Alexa. Today, AI is having its breakout moment in manufacturing. From one side, in the apparel industry, GAP is using AI to automate part of the distribution chain. From another side, Vicarious, a startup funded by Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, is developing AI software that makes industrial robots smart enough to perform jobs previously done only by people.

Commercilization of Quantum Computers

2020 is expected to be the beginning of the quantum computing era. Quantum computing is faster and more efficient than any computer currently widely used. It has the potential to transform encryption, perfect medicine and revolutionize communication. Google claims that it has quantum supremacy by developing Sycamore, the company’s state -of-the-art computer. In fact, Sycamore was able to complete a complex calculation in 200 seconds which would have taken supercomputers 10,000 years to finish.

Digital Money

Last June, Facebook unveiled Libra, a “global digital currency”. From its side, China is poised to become the first major country to issue a digital currency. With the decline of usage of physical cash, the cryptocurrency market has become worth over $219 billion as of April. Also, many international regulatory milestones were achieved this year as previous discussions regarding money laundering were settled in Europe and new laws have been implemented. Similar measures were taken in Canada, South Korea and India with the goal of resolving security issues while still allowing cryptocurrency exchanges.

Release of 5G

5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity. 5G is available in many countries around the world. The implications of 5G networks are numerous, but as for the mass, it will provide faster download and upload speeds, higher-quality voice and video calls, a greater number of connected IoT devices and the expansion of advanced technologies such as self-driving cars and smart cities.
How can these technologies be applied to improve the living conditions during social lockdown?
There are many ways these technologies could be applied. More than we could have ever imagined.

First, manufacturing processes might not require manpower presence anymore. The future for large scale automation in factories is promising. Quantum computers could be used to process the AI algorithms of industrial robots faster than the thinking process of the human brain. Also, 5G combined with virtual reality (VR) could simulate the working environment of individuals while they are at home. Processes could be remotely controlled, and human labor could be replaced by industrial robots. In other words, it is very possible to imagine a future in which jobs, that once required physical presence, would resume while maintaining social distancing.

Second, the user base of cryptocurrency platforms could grow even larger. The consumer habits of cryptocurrency holders could change in unexpected ways. In fact, it is now more possible than ever to imagine a future in which banks and governments shift from conventional currencies into cryptocurrencies.

A Dream of a Better Future
However, our dream of having a better year may be at a great expense. If applied, these technologies might have irreversible effects. In fact, till this day, there is no such thing as data rights and individuals don’t have access to their data points. Although technology could enable people to maintain their jobs, it could also breach their privacy more than it ever did before.

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