Game Changers: 3 Predictions for Technological Transformation in 2024 & Beyond
In 2024, the tech landscape is expected to undergo significant changes with the rise of new advances that have the potential to transform industries. Today, we’re spotlighting our top three predictions for the shifts we’ll see—both seismic and small.
1. The Metaverse (Hype) Is Dead. Long Live the Metaverse!
While the hype cycle has moved on from the metaverse to AI, we remain committed to both. Consumer interest in virtual and mixed reality has seen a significant uptick in recent years. Fitness and wellness are on the rise as compelling use cases, the Meta Quest app topped the charts of the App Store on Christmas Day, and Reality Labs recently passed $1 billion USD in revenue for the first time.
One of the most promising opportunities afforded by the metaverse is in training and education. Meta recently introduced a new demo, “Caddy,” which lets colleagues collaborate on CAD models together—regardless of how far apart they are. Traditionally, CAD has been limited to experts in the mechanical/ architectural fields, requiring years of experience to be able to make simple models. With Caddy, we’re helping to level the playing field for educators, students, and designers to develop 3D designs and actually be able to visualize and play with them in a more natural way. This not only brings access to 3D modeling to a larger audience but also enables a more human way to visualize and edit 3D designs.
That’s just one of many applications for metaverse technologies. From training for the trades, skills acquisition for surgeons, and athletes staying at the top of their game to education, entrepreneurship, and beyond, people are tapping into the power of virtual and mixed reality to make a significant impact on learning outcomes today.
2. Portable (Super) Powers: On-Device LLMs
Much like the migration of the internet from PCs to smart phones helped to democratize access, there are numerous benefits to be had from moving AI processes from the cloud to the edge and mobile devices—perhaps chief among them being a more personalized experience, followed closely by a reduction in latency. Most likely, we’ll arrive at a hybrid model where some tasks are completed by LLMs running on the cloud while others take place on our phones in the palm of our hands, or even on a pair of stylish smart glasses.
This move is already starting to take place with the arrival of Meta AI* on Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and the introduction of multimodal features in Early Access. Members of the Early Access program can look and ask with Meta AI, getting suggestions and information based on what they see. Translate a sign in a foreign language into English, find a new recipe using the ingredients on your counter, or caption the killer photo you just took—and do it all on the fly and hands-free.
3. Mobile Messaging: Connecting with Consumers
Just as our AI tools will grow increasingly personalized (and subsequently more useful), people expect to interact with the brands and businesses they support in new, more personal ways. We see this reflected in the growing adoption of business messaging tools across Meta’s technologies. From apps and APIs to Instagram Direct and a unified Inbox, it’s easier than ever for small businesses, larger brands, and enterprise organizations alike to reach and engage with their audiences where they are.
And at Meta Connect 2023, we introduced AI studio, the platform that supports the creation of our AIs including our Meta AI personal assistant. In the future, developers will be able to build third-party AIs for our messaging services with our APIs. Businesses will be able to create AIs that reflect their brand values and improve customer service experiences And creators will be able to build AIs that extend their virtual presence across our apps.
As the line between the physical and digital worlds continues to blur, people will increasingly want easy and instant access to information, goods, and services wherever they happen to be, whatever they’re doing—without switching contexts. The companies, creators, and entrepreneurs who can adapt and meet prospective customers where they are will be uniquely positioned to thrive as the metaverse continues to take shape.
