From security issues to streaming services: 5 trends for 2020 in the tech industry

The past decade has been marked by great technological progress, thanks to which we have received a lot of innovations without which we cannot imagine everyday life. Smartphones, social media, and autonomous cars no longer surprise average people. What's more, in recent years, thanks to the popularization of technological innovations, specialist knowledge regarding i.a. artificial intelligence or space exploration is easily accessible to users.

In 2020, we can be sure of continuing the trend of disruptive innovations that change people's previous behavior, as well as their attitude towards traditional solutions. Due to the fact that people are becoming more aware of the actions of global corporations (which sometimes are not that ethical) and involved in the development of technology, many trends of the beginning of the year are related to the search for a new approach to problems appearing with the progress.

Deepfake - a "side effect" of AI development

Artificial intelligence is one of the technologies that has gained great popularity over the last few years. Today, AI finds its applications in many industries, including the entertainment sector. One example is deepfake, an image processing technique using artificial intelligence that aims to swap the faces of people present on pictures or films.

Thanks to deepfake, the Internet is full of fake pornographic videos with the participation of famous actresses and entire movies, where Nicolas Cage "plays" most of the roles. Although the use of technology for entertainment purposes poses no threat, the problem begins when characters from the political scene appear in fabricated films. At the current stage of development of artificial intelligence, deepfake still easily can be identified, but their popularity causes that over time they become better, and thus - more realistic.

Data security under greater supervision

The problem of data security, which began to be talked about a few years ago, still worries Internet users. Every now and then there is information that passwords and private data of social media and gadget users have been leaked. Because of this, people lose trust in large companies and use new technologies with caution. In turn, this puts more pressure on software developers to improve security measures on both the network and wireless devices.

Ecology in the technology industry

In 2019, Greta Thunberg, a teenager from Sweden, became the “Time” Person of the Year, who caught the attention of the whole world thanks to ecological activism. In addition, the Oxford English Dictionary proclaimed "climate emergency" the word of the year. The problem of ecology raises the need to seek new solutions to improve the climate. Big data and artificial intelligence allow collecting and accurately analyzing data related to carbon emissions. Besides, with the help of AI, scientists are able to more accurately hypothetical scenarios of behavior and actions aimed at reducing the negative effects of climate change, and study possible effects.

Space exploration by private companies

The character of Elon Musk is well known to active Internet users thanks to his characteristic sense of humor and original Twitter posts. In addition to profiles on social media, Internet users also pay attention to Musk’s companies, especially SpaceX.

SpaceX is the first private company that sent its ship to the International Space Station in 2012, becoming famous around the world. If the founder is to be believed, SpaceX plans to start organizing space travel for tourist purposes in the near future. Thanks to such bold statements, the admiration of ordinary people for everything related to the cosmos is growing. With the emergence of new space exploration possibilities, both private companies and state institutions need new solutions in the field of software based on artificial intelligence, as well as modern computer equipment that allows performing advanced calculations and functionalities.

Streaming services’ fight for viewers

At the end of 2019, the Disney + streaming platform became available to the public and immediately aroused the affection of viewers thanks to the series "The Mandalorian". Other platforms, such as Netflix or HBO, are also very popular, as they increase their budgets every year, and also the quality of the films and series they shoot.

In the fight for the viewer, streaming services integrate modern solutions that, using AI, prompt users to tailor-made screenings. In 2020, the emphasis on providing viewers with the best possible comfort while using the website will increase even more. This applies not only to the selection of film production to be available on the site but also to the mechanism of their recommendation to users, the choosing of individual thumbnails and description generation.