For the past several years, a variety of digital developments have made headlines–and this past year has been no different. In a number of areas, digital technologies continue to advance, including the way we use them and enjoy them. At the same time, however, not all 2022 digital trends have been positive ones, with some posing real threats. But one thing is certain: the digital landscape is one that is highly dynamic and rapidly evolving. Keeping track of these shifts is important for companies that want to stay one step ahead of the competition. With this in mind, the following provides some of the most notable digital developments of 2022.
- Major Advances in AI – It’s no secret that artificial intelligence and machine learning is being utilized in most industries. AI is boosting automation as well as robotics. It’s also advancing predictive and prescriptive analytics to help businesses devise better solutions. But the big news in AI digital developments this year involves AI’s marked increases in capacity. Researchers have discovered that adding millions of parameters to AI enables it to be much more robust. Instead of simply analyzing text, this enables AI to learn through pattern recognition, videos and images. Termed AI foundational models, these 2022 digital trends will likely lead to accelerated abilities. As a result, venture capital investments are pouring in, even in the midst of a down economy. (Read more about how smart AI’s have gotten in this Bold story.)
- The Dominance of Short Form Videos – When TikTok hit the scene, it gained instant popularity because of its short form videos. As a result, it wasn’t long before other social media sites developed their own products in this regard. Thus, it may not be surprising that one of the 2022 digital trends involves other sectors adopting these approaches. Not only are marketing gurus utilizing short form videos. But likewise, digital developments this year has seen use of short form videos in education, training as well as entertainment. Why? Because roughly two-thirds of the population are visual learners, and visual learning is 60,000 times faster. Based on this, it’s safe to assume short form videos are here to stay. (It’s all about information efficiency and leveraging short form videos for success–read more in this Bold story!)
- State-Sponsored Cryptocurrency Hacks – As mentioned, not all the digital developments this year have been positive. Countries like Russia, China and North Korea have been identified as sponsoring cryptocurrency hackers this year. Such 2022 digital trends are concerning because of the targets involved. Specifically, hackers focus on cryptocurrency firms and exchanges where they then steal various crypto types. They then swap out stolen crypto to less common forms of currency, which makes it hard to track. All of this suggests that current blockchain protections are not foolproof. And it proves that digital warfare is continuing to advance to new levels of threat.
- The Introduction of Digital Drugs – Have you heard about digital drugs? Perhaps not, but this too was one of the digital developments making headlines this year. In essence, digital drugs use various types of digital stimulations to alter brain waves, chemistries, and functions. In the process, they have the potential to change moods, levels of concentration, and even perceptions. Without question, this is a virgin field of study, but one that has notable promise. One of the 2022 digital trends in this field involved the use of binaural beats to treat people with sleep or anxiety problems. In essence, altering auditory tones into asynchronous patterns can result in neural changes in the brain. While strong scientific evidence is still lacking, some believe digital drugs will continue to advance as a field. With less stigma than psychedelics and pharmaceuticals, it’s one of the digital developments worth noting.
- The Pervasive Use of Big Data – As far as digital developments go, the use of Big Data isn’t new. However, what is noteworthy as one of the 2022 digital trends is the expanded use in atypical industries. Certainly, the healthcare sector was late to the game in this regard, but it continues to make impressive strides in data analytics. But likewise, even sports leagues including the NFL adopted Big Data as a means to excel. Specifically, the NFL has numerous programs leveraging Big Data to enhance player safety, game predictions, training procedures, and fan entertainment. In other words, it has made up for lost time in a major way. This shows that utilizing data analytics is not only worth considering but actually necessary to compete today.
- Municipal Pursuits in Bitcoin Mining – Many may still be on the fence about the future of cryptocurrency. But in one of the more interesting digital developments this year, some states and municipalities are making moves in this direction. Notably, Texas has been one of the more cryptocurrency-friendly states thus far. And in alignment with this, the town of Fort Worth has begun its own bitcoin mining program. With used mining equipment and financial supports, the city believes these efforts could pave its way for the future. Plus, with plans to use green energy for bitcoin mining energy demands, it plans to silence critics. If this experiment works, it could lead to other cities moving in the same direction. These 2022 digital trends could reverse what has been recent restrictions on bitcoin mining in other states.
- Progress in the Metaverse – Since Facebook changed its name to Meta, there has been a great deal of speculation about the Metaverse. As far as 2022 digital trends go, there has been relatively little breakthroughs in this regard. Virtual and augmented reality, however, continues to expand in numerous sectors. And in one case, VR is even being used with animals to boost production. Specifically, VR headsets for cattle that provides images of peaceful meadows reportedly boosted milk production substantially. The same was tried among chickens to increase egg production, but the results less favorable. While these changes provide a more amusing picture of a future Metaverse, digital developments in other areas offer greater practicality. This too is an area where capital investments have continued to thrive this past year.
