Looking Forward to 2020
It’s the start of a whole new decade, and with all the drama of the last few years of the 2010’s, it’s only natural to look forward and wonder about what’s coming. When we were coming up with possibilities for a list, we just decided to go with Some Big Ideas. The internet is littered with best-of and year-end lists, so let’s start the decade with something a bit more relaxed and less focused on rankings. In no particular order, we’d like to offer you some of the Big Ideas that you should keep an eye on in 2020.
AI – It’s probably won’t be like the Terminator, but AI is coming and we’re probably going to feel it more and more each day. We’ll most likely have our first encounter with AI in our online experiences, but if it works the way it’s supposed to, we may not ever notice it. Before too long, anytime you’re chatting online with a “customer service representative”, that entity will most likely be an artificial intelligence. AI will also provide a powerful enhancement to online shopping experiences. If you thought Amazon’s current recommendations seemed a bit random but not totally off base, you’ll be surprised at how they begin to become more and more accurate. Who hasn’t ever wanted their own personal shopper? AI will become an essential business tool that will allow corporations to more effectively reach and advertise to customers.
5G – Self-driving cars, the internet of things, hyper-focused medicine, and augmented reality are all popular topics, but when you get right down to it, none of them are going to really reach their maximum potential until we establish a 5G network. It’s already being tested in some markets, but when this network finally becomes fully implemented we’ll start to see the next generation of the human experience. We’re not sure about all the ways that 5G will touch our lives, but we’re confident that it will give us a level of connection to data and mobile systems that we’ve never experienced before. It has the potential to change the very structure of our society in some exciting ways. If you keep an eye on this topic and stay informed, you’ll be one step ahead of everyone else as these changes come to pass.
Blockchain – After the rollercoaster ride of bitcoin in 2017, most people have come to a few personal conclusions about blockchain. A) – the price is unpredictable so there’s no point in getting too excited about it, and B) I don’t use it for anything. Beyond that, the average person’s interest in the subject has been used up. In the near future, however, blockchain technology may be the next part of our internet security puzzle. Not only can it provide a secure financial instrument, it can also be used as a way to combat deepfake videos. Software engineers believe that blockchain can be encoded into video as it’s being recorded, making it harder to pass off altered videos as the real thing. In a future where computer programs can effortlessly swap actor’s faces and create convincing dialogue better than the most skilled impersonator, blockchain might be the best way to authenticate audio and video.
What does the future really hold? Well, we’ll just have to find out together. Whatever transpires, you can be sure that CDR Global will stay informed about the issues and how they affect the regular people on the ground like us. As these changes come to pass, your partners at CDR Global will keep working to help you navigate the expansive and dynamic world of IT equipment recycling, reuse, or resale.