What’s ahead for cryptocurrency, cybersecurity, AI-based application development, and extended reality? Here’s a roadmap from some of tech’s most forward-thinking leaders.
Recently, I had the opportunity to ask over a dozen leading technologists for their hopes, predictions, and guidance for the year 2023. This article distills the far-ranging conversation and wealth of insight that came back to me. The year ahead looks to be lean in financial investment, but long on innovation.
Doing more with less
Not surprisingly, economic conditions figure large for many in tech. The theme of doing more with less is prevalent, along with pushing for technology solutions to take up the slack.
Guillermo Rauch, CEO and founder of Vercel, says, “With rising macroeconomic pressures, businesses will have to fight harder for every dollar while doing more with less. How will online businesses solve these challenges in a short time frame while keeping costs in mind? By equipping their developers with the right tools and turning to front-end performance optimization and personalization to deliver new creative experiences for their customers.”
Steve Sewell, CEO and founder of Builder.io, also noted the push to simplify. “Less engineering staff due to layoffs means a focus on core business, less speculative investment efforts, less spending on marketing/growth, and growing efficiently instead of at all costs. Not excessive polish—simplicity. Solve many things with less, for less.”
The sentiment was echoed by OutSystems head of global portfolio, Prakash Vyas: “Ensuring IT productivity will be even more critical in 2023. Owing to the growing number of tech layoffs adding even more to the shortage of developers.” Vyas added that providing developer teams with low-code tools could be helpful for maximizing productivity.
Meanwhile, cryptocurrency continues to evolve in unexpected ways. “Cryptocurrency will increasingly move towards utility rather than just speculation,” says Katherine Wu, a venture partner at Archetype. “Regulations are inevitable and will help legitimize the industry, attracting more institutional investment and driving broader adoption.”
Cybersecurity is another area ripe for innovation in 2023. David Ulevitch, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, emphasized the importance of robust security measures, “As cyber threats become more sophisticated, the need for advanced, AI-driven cybersecurity solutions will grow. Companies will prioritize investments in technologies that can predict, prevent, and respond to attacks in real time.”
In AI-based application development, the focus will be on enhancing practical applications. “AI will be used to solve real-world problems more effectively,” says Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. “We will see advancements in natural language processing, computer vision, and automated machine learning tools that empower developers to build more intelligent applications.”
Lastly, extended reality (XR) technologies are poised to make significant strides. “2023 will be the year when XR technologies start to enter mainstream enterprise use,” predicts John Riccitiello, CEO of Unity Technologies. “From training simulations to virtual collaboration spaces, XR will transform how businesses operate and how employees interact with their work environments.”