Technology advances are poised to be exponential in 2019, with some cutting-edge applications gaining steam and utility, like AI and blockchain—along with other initiatives that have us a little more on edge. Comms giant FleishmanHillard takes a look at both ends of the spectrum in a new report offering insights and predictions for the tech industry. The report features an analysis of 1 billion tech-focused consumer conversations on Twitter between 2017 and 2018, along with insights from more than 25 tech-industry thought leaders from around the world.
“Technology changes at a rapid pace and what once consumers barely even imagined, today they barely even notice,” said Sophie Scott, global managing director of FleishmanHillard’s Technology practice, in a news release. “By examining the conversations that have taken place and the technology on the horizon, we’ve been able to make predictions about tech in 2019 to help brands understand consumer expectations and plan for the future.”
The report, Tech Trends 2019: The Fads. The Fears. The Future, includes the following 2019 predictions, which feature a sampling of the expert comments in the report:
Artificial Intelligence will get detailed
Brands that use AI to engage in detailed and explanatory conversations—seeking to place AI in real-life contexts—will be next year’s big winners. Discussions on conversational AI increased 54 percent in Twitter topic volume from 2017 to 2018.
Tech for good
The firm’s Authentic Insights report, conducted by TRUE Global Intelligence, revealed that more than 80 percent of consumers rate data security and protection as ‘very important’—ahead of only healthcare and education in the UK and healthcare and freedom of speech in the U.S. Against all this, responsible data protection measures will continue to be a major trend.
Augmented analytics will go mainstream
AI’s potential to enhance human intelligence rather than replace it is central—consumers will want to understand both what augmented analytics means by itself, and what it means against technology’s other big trends.
Immersive reality will transform new sectors
Virtual, augmented and mixed realities will join to create new experiences for consumers and will creep even further into areas like retail, manufacturing and healthcare.
Blockchain will find new opportunities
Moving beyond cryptocurrencies, Blockchain could expand, supporting developments like smart cities and digital transformation. Discussion volume share increased 52 percent between 2017 and 2018—and the opportunity for deeper, more forward-looking conversation is growing.
Edge computing will come to the fore
Edge computing streamlines the flow of traffic from IoT devices and provides real-time local data analysis. Look for 5G to spur on the continued hype and interest in edge computing in 2019.
Smart fabrics and e-textiles will rise in popularity
Expect smart fabrics and exoskeletons to hit runways and warehouse aisles alike, challenging what the term “wearable” really means.
The data for FleishmanHillard’s “Tech Trends 2019: The Fads. The Fears. The Future.” report includes qualitative and quantitative data. A social conversation analysis was conducted around Gartner’s 2018 and 2019 trends to test true traction of emerging technology. These findings were then augmented by market-leading brand executives to forecast the direction of 2019. The report reflects global, English-language conversations. All data falls within the public domain and was aggregated to ensure that personally identifiable elements were removed from the analysis and methodology.
