As with every year, there is never a shortage of innovation – and while some tech trends fade quickly, others have real staying power. The latest innovation includes a mix of big business investments, consumer demand and technology that could solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.
The fastest growing of this year’s 10 Innovation Trends is agentic AI which offers the flexibility and generality of foundational AI models with the ability to act independently in the world. This enables machines to take on tasks like learning and executing complex workflows with minimal human oversight.
Other trends to watch include a focus on mass personalization and micro-moments – which are made possible by technologies like AI, Big Data, and analytics. These enable businesses to tailor products and services to the specific needs of individual customers on a mass scale and in the moment.
Another hot area is smart spaces and places, with homes, offices and even cities becoming increasingly intelligent, connected and automated. Technologies such as 5G, which is up to 100 times faster than 4G and has ultra-low latency, are making this a reality. It is also enabling new applications, including remote surgeries with haptic feedback, smart vehicles and more.
Other hot areas of innovation include renewable energy and materials science. Gigafactories like the Solarcity plant in Buffalo, NY are helping to make alternative energy more affordable and accessible. Meanwhile, breakthroughs in biotechnology are ushering in a new era of personalised medicine with AI-driven diagnostics and gene editing tools enabling doctors to treat patients based on their unique genetic profile.