{"id":4507,"date":"2021-02-09T21:13:57","date_gmt":"2021-02-09T20:13:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/?p=4507"},"modified":"2021-02-09T21:13:57","modified_gmt":"2021-02-09T20:13:57","slug":"post-pandemic-technology-trends-what-to-watch-by-thealeph_report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/post-pandemic-technology-trends-what-to-watch-by-thealeph_report\/","title":{"rendered":"Post-pandemic Technology Trends: What to Watch by\u00a0@thealeph_report"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ethics of such (AI) systems will most definitely be a hot topic this year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

a two-part report summarizing some of the biggest trends during 2020 and the beginning of 2021. For the first part, check the geopolitical trends<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Origen: Post-pandemic Technology Trends: What to Watch – The Aleph Report<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

EXCERPTS<\/p>\n

a brief analysis of some of the most prominent technology trends that have been either developing or evolving during last year and into 2021.<\/p>\n

Proptech maturity<\/h2>\n

many second-generation proptech startups are rising to the top<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Digitalization isn\u2019t just replacing brick and mortar processes; it\u2019s also spreading horizontally, making many current operations obsolete.<\/strong> \u2026It\u2019s also accelerating IoT trends and Perception AI\u2019s deployment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Consolidation of food delivery<\/h2>\n

\u2026Many restaurants are closing for good, while many others are struggling to offer delivery options<\/strong>. Once a business adds a delivery option, it rarely goes away, so expect many surviving companies to become hybrid<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The growth of ghost or cloud kitchens has accelerated, as well as the crop of startups (and funding) providing automation for them.<\/strong> Time will say how many of them will survive a post-vaccination era<\/strong> or if the quality of the \u201cautomated\u201d food is a match for the old school.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

However, the disruption has propagated down the supply chain<\/strong>. \u2026synthetic food or agrotech.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Energy race towards fusion<\/h2>\n

\u2026Our energetic needs keep increasing<\/strong> (exponential <\/em>computational needs<\/em>, <\/em>electrification<\/em>, agrotech needs, etc.<\/em>). A functional fusion reactor could unlock incredible strategic value for any nation. \u2026<\/strong>several startups\u00a0including US and UK ones, are on the verge (3-5 years<\/em>) to have a functional reactor.
\nIf this becomes real, it could have dramatic geopolitical consequences<\/strong> for the middle east.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Shopify vs. Amazon<\/h2>\n

Another big story of the year has been the meteoric growth of Shopify.<\/strong> From e-commerce platform to alleged Amazon contender. The differences between both companies are stark, but it seems Shopify is reluctantly moving towards Amazon\u2019s turf (and vice versa). Shopify expanded into fulfillment, integrating the lower part of the value chain.<\/strong>
\nThey want to become the operative system (OS) for e-commerce<\/strong>, and owning the fulfillment piece is critical.<\/p>\n

\n
The truth is that, despite Shopify\u2019s rapid growth, the default shopping search behavior happens in Amazon. \u2026If Shopify manages to create a<\/strong> fair marketplace with well-aligned incentives<\/strong>, they could erode Amazon\u2019s current marketplace status quo.<\/p>\n

mRNA revolution<\/h2>\n

\u2026Such rapid and global use has accelerated, by a significant factor, the technology\u2019s readiness and acceptance<\/strong>.
\n\u2026reassuring numbers will increase its respectability within regulators, potentially fast-forwarding mRNA use in other treatments<\/strong> like cancer, flu, autoimmune diseases, or even Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Logistic nightmares<\/h2>\n

As more people turn to home delivery for everything, the already strained postal service is getting worse\u2014delays, mistakes, increased taxes, etc.\u00a0An increasing number of companies are redesigning their logistic<\/strong> operations to achieve deliveries within the magic 42h window (thanks Amazon<\/em>).
\nThis year I expect an increasing number of experts helping create Smart Warehouses.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2026warehouses require essential data infrastructures and a digitalization plan<\/strong> to achieve operational improvements.<\/p>\n

This acceleration is also forcing \u2026there is an explosion of companies providing \u201c<\/strong>Fulfilment as a Service.<\/em><\/strong>\u201c<\/strong> \u2026some are adventuring and pushing for autonomous last-mile vehicles<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

SpaceX menace<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u2026is SpaceX\u2019s Starlink network\u2019s deployment.<\/strong> I can\u2019t stress how disruptive Starlink is. Telco companies should be terrified<\/strong> as it will eventually provide affordable internet access with a global footprint. Worse of all (for incumbents<\/em>) is that the competitive moat is massive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Another angle of Starlink is the potential capacity to circumvent local or <\/strong>statewide Internet censorship<\/strong> (i.e., China, Hong Kong, India, Iran, etc.<\/em>). Will nations develop satellite jammers to prevent this from happening? \u2026 It\u2019s still early to say, but the current geopolitical turmoil makes it a very enticing option.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blockchain and crypto speculation<\/h2>\n

\u2026lockdowns, limited or restricted outdoor entertainment, and accessible trading tools have created the <\/strong>perfect speculative storm<\/strong> for trading floors and the crypto markets<\/strong>. \u2026 speculators aside, blockchain technology is having a moment as a tool to deploy transparent and trustworthy<\/strong> pandemic related apps.\u2026the need to provide \u201cproof\u201d of something in a distributed and secure fashion (i.e., different countries) is where blockchain might excel.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The increasing use of specific blockchains will also drive the price of individual virtual tokens<\/strong>, so don\u2019t expect speculation to end anytime soon.<\/p>\n

Education disruption<\/h2>\n

\u2026With attention rates dangerously low, and unequal access to remote learning tools<\/strong>, it\u2019s easier said than done. Online education lowers the friction of attendance, but it also makes it very easy to zoom out<\/strong> if the professor or the topic isn\u2019t engaging, creating \u201cZoom fatigue\u201c.<\/p>\n

Effective online education requires more than a simple videoconferencing tool.<\/strong> As we move forward into the year, I\u2019m guessing we will experience a specialization of several of these new online education services<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Another side of this disruption is the sudden demand for digital transformation experts<\/strong>. \u2026 We need to redesign, optimize, and automate all kinds of operations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

These changes require<\/strong> not just tools but industry-specific know-how,<\/strong> data science, and data management<\/strong> skills. \u2026<\/b>Education ventures are already moving in that direction, but there is plenty of opportunities to train people in vertical digital transformation tracks<\/strong> (i.e., Restaurant digital transformation expert<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Artificial Intelligence, data, ethics, and bias<\/h2>\n

\u2026a vertical that has thrived during the pandemic, that has been AI-powered startups. Intelligent automation and optimization of processes are essential to survive the economic downturn<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Simultaneously, the rage to digitalize previously analog channels is creating even more data for our AI algorithms<\/strong>. \u2026such systems\u2019 deployment exacerbates the need for AI ethics<\/strong> and powerful new <\/strong>methods for explainability<\/strong> (XAI)<\/strong>. \u2026there is increasing attention to meta-ethics<\/strong> and the development of core moral structures that undergird new systems.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u2026Employees are worried that their projects will have a dual-use <\/strong>(civilian and military),
\nwhile users are afraid the AIs are manipulating them<\/strong>.
\nActivists are fearful that AIs can silence them<\/strong>;
\ngovernments are nervous that AI companies have more sway with the population.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

And deeply tied with the last point is the expansion of algorithmic bias, or let\u2019s say, the amplification of human bias through AI.<\/strong> While many western societies don\u2019t see bias as an issue, the truth is that adding exponential scale to it through AI will only increase the current erosion<\/strong> of the social fabric.<\/p>\n

Final words<\/h2>\n

2020 has been a rocky year for many reasons, and there are no reasons to believe 2021 won\u2019t be as disruptive<\/strong>. And while some fields of tech have benefited dramatically, others have been hit hard.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re entering a very volatile year, and it\u2019s more important than ever to plan for high uncertainty scenarios<\/strong>. The world will keep spinning, but many of the rules of engagement are changing fast.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The ethics of such (AI) systems will most definitely be a hot topic this year. a two-part report summarizing some of the biggest trends during 2020 and the beginning of 2021. For the first part, check the geopolitical trends. Origen: Post-pandemic Technology Trends: What to Watch – The Aleph Report EXCERPTS a brief analysis of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[291,159,155,28,32,57,167,214,49,45,44,178,31,181,46,165,25,37,166],"tags":[299,215,213,212],"class_list":["post-4507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ai","category-big-data","category-commerce","category-cosillas-empresariales","category-economia","category-educacion","category-education","category-entrepreneurship","category-hacktivismo","category-informatica","category-innovacion","category-innovation","category-la-vida-misma","category-software-y-apps","category-start-it-up","category-technology","category-tecnologia","category-tendencias","category-trends","tag-economy","tag-innovation","tag-technology","tag-trends"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4507"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4507\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4511,"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4507\/revisions\/4511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silta.es\/juantatay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}