As technology continues to evolve and shape the way we do business, we’re all more than eager to find out what we can expect from it in the following year. From artificial intelligence to virtual reality, the future is set to be full of exciting opportunities and potential.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the predictions and technological trends in 2023 that will shape our lives and the way we work in the following year. So, if you’re curious to discover how the world is set to change and what new opportunities could be on the horizon, read on!
The future of the metaverse
When Mark Zuckerberg announced his project to develop the metaverse in late 2021, critics emerged instantly. Nevertheless, many people – including ourselves – watched things develop with some level of excitement and curiosity. Unfortunately, 2022 didn’t bring any revolutionary change. We’ve seen rather slow progress at best.
There are a few reasons why the metaverse hasn’t become a success yet. First, technology around is still facing many challenges. For example, completely intuitive and immersive navigational tools are still being developed. Omnidirectional treadmills we have now still have their shortcomings.
Another issue is the price. Advanced virtual reality headsets are also quite expensive, and the best devices also need a powerful PC to pair them up with.
Additionally, there are still a lot of legal and regulatory issues that need to be worked out before the metaverse can become a success. Finally, there needs to be a wide range of content and applications available on the metaverse, as well as a large user base. We are seeing a steady increase in the last two years, but it’s rather linear than exponential.
So the metaverse, as of now, has failed to meet expectations and is criticized by many. But it hasn’t said its last word. And it’s absolutely not heading for extinction, as some would like to believe. The metaverse is gaining significance, whether we like it or not. The final ecosystem it creates might differ from initial expectations, but it will exist, and it will become a mainstream standard.
We can expect many new technologies and software to appear in 2023 that will help accelerate the growth of the metaverse. We already have a basis that includes advanced AI, immersive interfaces like extended reality (XR) devices and infrastructure such as blockchain. We still need to better these technologies and develop a few more solutions we’re lacking, but we’re definitely getting there.
Will 2023 make the metaverse better and more popular? Yes. Will the metaverse become a revolution next year? Maybe, but there are no guarantees. Nevertheless, it’s worth following this technological trend in 2023.
More mobile device internet users than ever before
According to statistics found on Exploding Topics, almost 60% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices, and more than 92% of users use a mobile phone to go online at least sometimes. This brings us to the next one of our technological trends in 2023.
So if you haven’t made your website mobile-friendly yet, it’s high time you do. But that’s not all. Knowing that almost everyone will use their mobile phones to access the internet in 2023, it’s wise to think about developing your own application as a more convenient alternative for the website.
And mobile devices are great end devices for augmented reality experiences. Having an AR experience can be an effective way for your business to stand out, engage customers, and increase sales. AR creates immersive and interactive experiences that can be used to showcase products, provide training and tutorials, show off new features, and even customize products.
What’s interesting is that you don’t necessarily need your own application to create engaging augmented reality content. There’s always the option to go for web-based AR, which means running the experience directly in the browser. No need to download it! If you’d like to find out more about the potential benefits of WebAR, read our article on the topic.
AI and machine learning omnipresent
Humans have been developing artificial intelligence since the dawn of digital computers. AI has been present in many computer programs, applications and simulations. Because it’s a very wide term and the technology has tremendous potential, AI will see constant and dynamic development in the near future.
We believe 2023 will be a significant year in the history of AI. It will be the year when artificial intelligence becomes an inseparable part of our everyday lives on a deeper level, especially in our work.
AI-generated content will allow employees to perform less time-consuming and repetitive tasks. We’ll be able to use it to quickly generate reports, create presentations, and automate part of our jobs. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will also help us to create more personalized customer experiences by enabling more accurate predictions and recommendations.
Of course, we’re using AI in many places already. The difference in 2023 will be that tools like GPT and DALL-E are going to become mainstream and more powerful than ever before. We’ll be able to automate more complex tasks that require a deeper understanding of language, such as summarizing documents, detecting sentiment, and understanding complex conversations. All these things will make us more productive, efficient, and successful in our work.
Rapid advancements in XR hardware
Recent advancements have included the introduction of high-resolution displays, improved tracking technology and more powerful processors. Let’s look into this technological trend in 2023.
In 2022, Meta introduced the Quest Pro – their next-gen XR headset that combines the power and advantages of both virtual and mixed reality. It’s like a highly buffed Quest 2 with advanced hand tracking and full color seethrough. This way, it can make the user both fully immersed in a virtual environment or overlay digital objects onto the physical surroundings.
The price of this new headset is still very high and makes the device viable almost exclusively for business applications. But it’s almost certain that more devices like this will start appearing and become more affordable.
And the competition isn’t sleeping either. ByteDance, Meta’s Chinese competitor, is already offering the Pico 4 headset. It has similar features to the Quest Pro, which makes it its direct competitor on the market. Lenovo has announced their new headset with full-color video pass-through too. It’s called the ThinkReality VR-X and should be available in early 2023.
So there is progress in the technology and, what’s arguably more important, progress in the way people look at XR. More of us know what it is and start seeing its unquestionable benefits. This makes us confident that we’ll see some real breakthroughs in the following year.
We also recommend reading our article about extended reality business solutions that can help your business reach new heights in the near future.
The real and digital worlds overlapping
Although it never created one cohesive ecosystem, we can say the digital realm has existed along the physical world for many years now. What will change in 2023 in this matter? Well, we’ve started the process of integrating the two, and extended reality is what’s been linking them in recent years. How will this overlapping of the worlds progress in the nearest future?
Mixed reality
Advancements in technology will allow us to interact with digital objects in a more natural way. As new MR devices appear and become more affordable, we’ll see them used in home settings too. It’ll allow manipulating digital objects with our hands, just as if they were real, physical objects.
This is an important step in combining the real world with virtual environments. Without the need for controllers and handheld devices, virtual objects and sceneries will feel less artificial. This will blur the line between the physical and digital worlds and create a more seamless experience.
Digital twins
Digital twins will become a more common part of our life. By digital twins, we mean virtual copies of real-world objects. For example, a car manufacturer could create a 3D digital version of their vehicle and perform tests in a virtual environment. Depending on the complexity of the digital twin, it can be used for advanced tasks like checking aerodynamics or optimizing driver experience.
Companies will be able to reach more customers by leveraging these digital twins. For instance, with MR technology, customers could try on virtual clothes, take virtual tours of real estate, sample food and drinks, and more. This will dramatically change the world of retail.
The role of NFTs
Speaking of digital counterparts of physical products, we have to mention the role NFTs will play in this area. Although we’re aware of the bubble that happened last year, it’s important to point out that NFTs aren’t inherently bad. They just haven’t been used properly yet. What’s great about them is that they can contain smart contracts and are indisputable proof of ownership.
This means you can set up a metaverse store where clients can buy virtual assets in the form of NFTs and, at the same time, purchase physical counterparts thanks to the smart contracts included. For example, you can sell virtual sneakers in the digital realm and deliver a pair of real ones to the customer who buys their NFT.
At 4Experience, we can help you create digital twins paired with non-fungible tokens as well as any mixed-reality application you may need. Drop us a line to get a free consultation with no hidden terms.
Progress in autonomous systems
In recent years, there has been significant progress in the development of autonomous machinery and vehicles. Autonomic machines are set to revolutionize the way we interact with the world around us, and that revolution is possible to take place as soon as 2023.
Vehicles, such as self-driving cars and delivery bots, are now being tested on public roads in many countries. Autonomous machinery is also being developed for use in a variety of industries, such as farming and manufacturing. Drones are also becoming increasingly popular, with applications ranging from delivery services to surveying and search and rescue operations.
Autonomous machinery is expected to become more widespread in the coming years as more companies invest in the technology and continue to refine existing systems.
Stay on top of new technologies
The future is set to be full of exciting opportunities and potential, and 2023 is no exception. From the metaverse to artificial intelligence and machine learning, extended reality hardware, and the overlap between the physical and digital worlds, there are a lot of technological trends in 2023 to look forward to.
Businesses will be able to leverage these technologies to stand out, engage customers, and increase sales, making it essential to stay on top of the latest trends. Would you like to receive regular news and updates from the world of immersive technologies? We’ll be posting plenty of articles similar to this one in 2023. Stay tuned by following us on LinkedIn!
