World at the cusp of new technology revolution

It is no exaggeration to say that technology has changed our lives like never before. It has revolutionised modern living. As we step into yet another new decade of 21st century, more than ever the world is seeking the refuge of science and technology to tackle daunting challenges. Advances in science and technology offer the promise of providing solutions to the real-world problems. The phenomenal transformation in general living conditions with the advent of technology in modern times is seamless.

Triggering the spark of innovation, technology seeded the development of gadgets, which changed the way we communicate, access information, voice our opinions, conduct business, shop for goods and services. It radically transformed television viewing experiences and added a new realm to the entertainment industry. Technology is enriching and enhancing our lives like never before. Unlike in the past, people are no longer sceptical about embracing new technology. They are technologically savvy. By consciously welcoming and adopting new technologies current generation is heralding innovation. This wider acceptance is paving way for faster evolution of technology.

With time, the creation of these technological tools has become the most profitable and wealthiest of ventures. The accelerating pace of technology has substantially increased ease of doing business and generated immense business opportunities. Enthused by a perceptible change brought about by new technologies, venture capitalists and prospective businesses are investing billions into companies indulging in development of cutting-edge technologies. Marshalling the World into the "4th Industrial Revolution", the next decade will portend the advent of "frontier technologies or deep tech" which includes- Artificial intelligence or machine learning, Robotics, Computational biology, Extended Reality (XR), Personalised and predictive medicine, quantum computing, space technology, advanced manufacturing using 3-D printing and block chain technology.

Steadily Artificial Intelligence (AI) is evolving as a useful replacement in service sector. It is now increasingly employed for improving customer experience and streamlining business activities. Last year, China has reportedly rolled out cyber courts with AI judges and verdicts being delivered on chat apps. The pilot program is now closely monitored for its largescale implementation. Under the banner of digitisation of its sprawling judicial system, China is putting cyber technologies to use. Since the launch of the mobile courts in March 2019, reportedly three million legal cases and judicial procedures were handled by these cyber courts. India which is grappling under the burden of judicial pendency can certainly take a leaf out of Chinese book.

Similarly, AI-monitored autonomous driving is another important aspect which is being increasingly experimented in developed countries. Google sister company Waymo has successfully completed the trial of autonomous taxis in California last year. While there might be glitches in the adoption of autonomous vehicles in public transport, they can be extremely beneficial in shipping and truck industry.

Various health parameters which are collected by the smart phones and other wearable devices are now used to diagnose ailments if any. This health data is becoming an important primer for the popular stream of personalised medicine. Instead of one size fits all approach, personalised and predictive medicine is evolving as an effective method to address specific disease conditions. Another important outcome of the deep technologies has been the 3-D organ printing. 3-D bioprinting of tissues and organs for transplanting has become heart and soul of the regenerative medicine. While the 3-D bioprinting is in formative stages of development for functional organs, it is successfully developed for skin and bones. Recently San Diego based Organovo, successfully implanted 3-D prints of human liver tissue patches in mice.

Already computational biology with its immense potential to study biological, ecological, behavioural and social systems through application of data-analytics, theoretical methods, mathematical modelling and computational simulation techniques have marvelled the world with the power of the interdisciplinary integration of knowledge systems. New technological advances will perceptibly enhance our understanding of the biological systems. Indeed, evolving technology will bolster the allied fields of computational biology like applied mathematics, statistics, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, genetics and genomics. Advancements in computational power will concomitantly help in data management, imaging & sensing technologies and material sciences as well.

Latest devices endowed with computer vision capable of facial or image recognition are changing the contours of surveillance and monitoring. Google's Image search is an offshoot of this technology. Gadgets equipped with computer vision are now extensively used by aviation sector. Dubai and Changi Airport which experience heavy footfall of passengers have opened cutting edge digital terminal for automatic check-in through facial scanning. Akin to the accessing smart phones through facial recognition, these technologies are now put to use to monitor crowds, identify criminals in some countries. Though it has potential danger of eroding privacy, given its inherent facial recognition capabilities law and order maintenance agencies are milling the large-scale use of these technologies to identify criminal elements.

With its immersive digital experience and capacities to create surreal experiences, virtual, augmented and mixed reality is taking the world by a storm. This computer-generated virtual world had added a new dimension to the entertainment industry. Virtual Reality (VR) which has been a part of infotainment and high-end videogames is now being put to business use as well. VR is used for training and simulation offering new ways to interact with customers. VR together with block chain technology are offering fascinating possibilities. Block-Chain is a ledger of transactions secured due to its encrypted and decentralised nature. Employing the block chain technology, Facebook planned to launch crypto currency Libra. Though it couldn't take off, the possibilities offered by the rising tide of improvised technologies is vast.

Unfortunately, despite its huge demographic dividend and sizeable technology savvy enthusiasts, India hasn't been a cradle of technological development. While India has firmly established itself as a prominent player in space technology through commercial satellite launching, it is not home to the big technological ventures as yet. However, booming technology startups are offering a new hope.  

The debate is still on whether to call 2020 the end of a decade, or do we wait for 2021 to begin; it is amazing how we come back to the same argument decade after decade. However, going by the popularly accepted theory of convenience, we shall call 2020 the beginning of a new decade. And as one looks back at the one that's gone by, one can't but exclaim and say what a decade it had been. And how it started with revolutions, natural disasters and deaths! US has seen Obama win followed by the rise of Donald Trump, and how can we forget the infamous Osama Bin Laden, who was discovered and killed in the year 2011. India has had its share of new order with Narendra Modi becoming the prime minister as he goes on to stay ahead unvanquished in the second term as well. What marks the last decade majorly is the massive advancement in technology and communication impacting every aspect of our lives – literally every aspect – our daily routine, jobs, the way we eat, the way we buy things, our lifestyle, social life, and even our relationships – technology has had its impact everywhere. It is only uphill from now on. And it is only apt to say that it is indeed going to be technology that will be dictating the world order in the coming years. As we begin this decade with a series of articles on what to look forward to in the coming decade, the 2020s as we call them; Ramaharitha Pusarla looks at aspects like artificial intelligence, 3D imaging and virtual reality that are going to play a major role in the 2020s