Like many of you, my life has become completely detached from the physical world, and turned into an online existence (even more so than before).
Covid-19 will force breakthroughs for cutting edge computing and artificial intelligence will once again dominate the technology headlines and force an even greater demand on the online world.
Some of the mentioned changes are inevitable but at the same time they represent simplified functioning in this already hectic life.
1. Remote work will become even more common among employers, as it will not only mean the safety of their employees but it will also cut their expenses (video calls becoming equally effective to onsite meetings)
2. The mentioned remote work therefore highlights a need for 5G technology, potentially accelerating adoption in the long term;
3. Big Data like GPS data could also and probably will be used to track down the people who are contagious but in this particular case, the implementation of such technologies will have to be implemented in a way it doesn’t invade an individual’s privacy; a big task!
4. 5G technologies have shown us the possibility to expand the reach of expertise and services offered by hospitals in this time of increased need, so hopefully more hospitals will look to tap into 5G to take advantage of the benefits offered by the new standard;
5. In this case, AI is an ideal partner in drug development because it can accelerate and complement human endeavours;
6. More Online Shopping versus traditional methods – businesses that want to remain competitive will have to figure out their online e-commerce options;
7. Digital Events will be more frequent than the ones that require interaction. Actually, there are even e-versions of F1 car racing on TV, and although it might not be the same as traditional F1 racing, it’s giving people a sports outlet to keep them entertained. Almost 5 million people tuned in to watch the virtual Grand National on Saturday afternoon.
8. Among all of the mentioned everyday changes, the most obvious one is the increased reliance on robots because they aren’t susceptible to viruses and as they are important now, they could possibly be hard to replace in the future lifestyle that awaits us.
From the moment you wake up to the moment you go back to sleep, technology is everywhere and actually we seem to embrace it. How to explain the success of Facebook, Instagram and similar platforms. Highly digital life we live at the moment (it is not as digital as it will become) and the development of our technological present has become the new Normal.
With data growing faster than ever before (at this time of need), the future of technology is even more interesting and exciting than it ever was before.
I would suggest that, rather than viewing digital changes and improvement as worrisome and challenging, you embrace the uncertainty and potential benefits that advances in new technologies, computer vision and artificial intelligence will bring.
So, I believe we should look at the year 2020 as the year of the new opportunities which will make us rethink the work we do and the way we do it!
By Karla Dicic, HR Consultant at Mentor Talent
career@mentortalent.ie