Atomic’s tech predictions

Here’s our take on the emerging technologies that are going to be big news over the coming year. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

There have been some exciting advances made in the world of AI in recent years. Some of these applications can be amusing with AI being used for anything from crafting new screenplays for blockbuster movies to amusing social media profile pictures. But there are also commercial applications for AI starting to emerge and we predict that AI will take off in a big way in 2023, fundamentally changing the way we work forever.

With Generative AI, software can be used to automatically create content. While this technology has yet to write a bestseller, there are a number of companies refining it for commercial purposes. You’ll no doubt have heard of software such as Chat GPT and DALL-E, which are using generative AI to create realistic chatbot conversations, generating responses to questions in online forums, and even creating personalised content for social media posts. This has huge implications for businesses, causing many to rethink their approach to customer care and content creation.

As AI becomes more advanced, the commercial prospects will increase exponentially, and we predict that this year we’re going to see a huge surge in both development and adoption of this technology.

Digital Twins and 3D printing 

This is something that will continue to be of particular interest to our clients in manufacturing and engineering as it allows for the rapid prototyping and robust testing of new products. 

Unlike simulations which replicate what could happen to a product, a digital twin replicates what is actually happening to a specific product in the real world. This is particularly helpful to designers as, unlike simulations, digital twins offer real feedback on whether their product is working as intended, allowing the designers to make improvements based on actual results. This enables manufacturers and engineers to accurately simulate a wide range of test conditions and obtain detailed performance data in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the cost of real-world field-testing. 

Diagnostic and performance data received through the Digital Twin simulation provides engineers the valuable opportunity to make and test adjustments to the design and improve performance, prior to manufacture. Paired with 3D printing, components can be conceived, tested and manufactured in a matter of days or even hours. This is technology currently being used by Formula One teams and this year we can see more and more engineering companies adopting the approach this year.

Cyber Security

With cyber security attacks on the rise globally, we predict there may be some high profile security breaches this year. There’s been an exponential increase in attacks over the last 12 months and it’s expected that this will continue in 2023. As hackers become more and more sophisticated it is increasingly likely that some big players will be targeted and are going to suffer some serious losses due to lack of data security. We believe 2023 will be the year that businesses across all industries start to take cyber security much more seriously, with corporate boards placing their digital security as high on the agenda as sales and marketing.

We recently posted an article on this topic, offering advice on how businesses large and small can protect themselves from potential attacks. In this article we explained that our belief is that good security starts with a good security culture. Click here to read our 5 ‘must-do’ steps to building a good security culture.

Make or break for Metaverse?

This subject sparked a healthy debate in the Atomic office, with developers providing interesting thoughts for and against the future of Metaverse. On the one hand, VR as a technology has been around for a while and, due to technological limitations, has yet to achieve real popularity. This is especially true of the Metaverse (Facebook owner Meta’s own Virtual Reality environment) which has proven to be so unpopular with developers that Meta have reportedly even had to tweet their own staff demanding they use the platform! 

However, as another member of our development team points out, retailers are looking for new ways to showcase their products online. A key hurdle online retailers face compared with high street retailers is the ability to try a product for yourself and see it in action. We’ve already started to see a rise in retail sites and apps allowing you to see furniture in your home via Augmented Reality and even try on makeup. With Virtual Reality technology starting to catch up with its ambition, we could start to see the rise of retailers offering virtual tours of new homes or kitchens, or even allow a person to try on an outfit in virtual reality. If enough retailers start to see the possibilities, 2023 could well be the year we see Metaverse on the rise. 

Or it might get killed off altogether. It’s costing billions to develop and while Meta do have very deep pockets, they will reach a point where they can’t spend any more. 

Whatever happens in 2023, it’s set to be another exciting year for technology and, as ever, we’re happy to be riding the wave. If you have an idea or would like to discuss how digital technology can be harnessed to help your business, get in touch and we’ll be happy to take you along for the ride.