Discover new technologies to keep an eye on in 2024

According to new technologies are being added to our vocabulary, we are also confronted with possible changes It is challenges that they bring.

In the last year, who hasn't thought about how artificial intelligence Could it affect your work or make your life easier? Technological tools have a direct impact on our daily lives, and what previously seemed part of a distant future is now becoming reality.

During the 2024 edition of the technology and innovation event South by Southwest, better known as SXSW, North American futurist Amy Webb listed some trends in the area and said she believes that we are living in an era similar to the industrial revolution or the arrival of the internet, that will reshape the world.

To better understand which technological innovations we should keep an eye on this year, the CNN heard experts in the area and listed some new developments that are already happening:

Artificial intelligence

A artificial intelligence It is, by far, the technology that has received the most attention from the market and the public. The tool promises to reshape the way we relate to the world, as it can be used differently in different areas.

The AI ​​ecosystem is changing rapidly and trends are already showing the unprecedented risks we may face with these new developments, highlighting the need for preparation, governance and alignment.

Smarter, more multifunctional AI

The technology expert Arthur Church spoke to CNN that the main trend that should stand out in 2024 are Multifunctional AIs .

“The trend is towards AI that is not fragmented. It's not just generating text, as is the case with ChatGPT, or just generating images, like Dalle 2 and others. These are AIs capable of combining all of this, documents, photos, videos. Interpret all of this and generate new things”, explained Arthur Igreja.

Alvaro Machado associate professor at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and partner at the Locomotiva Institute, also scored CNN that we should see AIs with greater “productive rationality” that is, more intelligent.

“They can actually do company planning, logistics organization and so on. Complex things from an informational, cognitive point of view”, said Machado.

Improved video creation

Machado also said that we must observe a improvements in the algorithms that generate videos.

As explained by the professor, the increase in the capacity of AIs that generate videos is an improvement on what is already being done: “When you can produce longer videos that are more faithful to instructions, they become practical for people in digital marketing , which you use for personal communication, and so on.”

Intelligent Agents

Machado also pointed out as a novelty that should emerge this year the emergence of AI “agents” .

To explain what these new technological “agents” would be like, he used as an example “a virtual assistant specifically for the education of high school students, or something like that.”

“An AI that is not simply a language algorithm. It’s an entire piece of software that lives there, that makes sense in the interaction with the student and also with the teacher,” he explained.

Robots

In the world of robotics, the two experts agree that investment is focused on production of humanoid robots that can operate in factories and for the improvement in interaction between robots and humans .

Robot workers

Companies such as Tesla, Agility Robotics, Boston Dinamics and Unitree are investing in the production of these humanoid robots that would serve to perform the same tasks performed by humans — with a focus on the industrial sector.

Arthur Igreja highlighted the possibility of using these robots “in more dangerous environments, in repetitive, time-consuming tasks and also in countries that have a shortage of labor”.

Robots that talk

The second investment point is related to artificial intelligence.

This advance would enable robots to have the ability to express themselves more similar to that of humans: “These security robots, like a robot dog, are acquiring the ability to communicate with us using verbal language, that is, with use of generative algorithms,” said Machado.

Virtual reality

As for virtual reality (VR) news, experts pointed out that they should come from two big names in technology: Goal It is Apple .

“These two giants are openly dueling in this area”, said Arthur Igreja.

Overcoming challenges

However, Álvaro Machado listed the problems that have held back his progress: cost, ergonometry It is culture .

“There is no way you can have a mass product that costs, in its most affordable version, US$600 [mais de R$ 3 mil]and costs, in its most sensational version, US$3,500 [cerca de R$ 18 mil]”, said Machado. He is referring to the price of Quest 3 virtual reality devices, produced by Meta and Apple's Vision Pro, respectively.

Regarding ergonometry, Machado was clear: “You can't say that it's nice to have the [óculos de] VR in your face for two hours, it's a lie. And that’s a problem.”

The weight of the device and the comfort (or discomfort) felt by the user are also challenges for these companies.

Furthermore, there is also the cultural factor that people don't seem so interested to shell out the money that a virtual reality device costs — see the lack of interest in the Metaverse.

“In Brazil, if you were to do a survey of how many people have already placed a [óculos de] VR in the face, you will see that this number is surprisingly low, even in the United States it is low. It is not available everywhere, user experiences are still incipient and Then you also don’t have such a large consumer market”, said Machado.

Source: CNN Brasil

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