Neurotechnology
“Thinking of what trend will surprise the world in 2023, I would bank on neuroscience and brain-machine user interfaces,” says Isabel F. Peñuelas. And while Neuralink founder Elon Musk recently declared his objective to perform the first human trials of neural implants within six months, there is still a long way to go to gain approval from the health authorities for this type of item. However Musk is far from the only entrepreneur working on ingenious options to enhance mental health, deal with neurological diseases or cure brain injuries; and neuroscience is anticipated to reach a market value of US$ 41.4 billion by 2030. “This year we may see the very first human with a chip implanted in the brain”, recommends Fernández Peñuelas.
Embedded financing
Continuing the transformation that has actually been happening in the monetary sector for years with open banking, Banking-as-a-Service and fintech, 2023 might see the rise of so-called embedded financing. Based on API (Application Shows Interfaces), they will make it possible to use monetary services straight through third-party platforms. For Robert Altes, of BBVA Open Development, ingrained finance “translates into a requirement to much better serve and develop customer loyalty”. Through wise devices and industrial applications commonly used by users, this ecosystem can incorporate products “from a credit or debit card to digital payments, loans, insurance coverage or financial investments,” discusses Altes.
Development, an interconnected web
At this moment of technological effervescence, there are still many other trends that we might mention: gene modifying, with a fantastic prospective impact in the foodtech sector; blockchain, applied to cybersecurity (for instance, in the construction of safe and secure digital identities that make it possible for ingrained financing), decentralised financing, Web3– an advancement of the Web that assures to recover decentralisation thanks to blockchain technology–, immersive experiences, sectors such as legaltech (technology used to legal services) etc.
Adaptive artificial intelligence, superapps or digital body immune systems are a few of the most popular technology patterns of the year that will start, according to the consulting company Gartner. For Deloitte, robotics (increasingly autonomous and accurate), spacetech to conquer space or biomolecular engineering will be among the emerging technologies that will lead development in 2023.
However there is just one thing harder than predicting which patterns will shape our future, which is forecasting the effect they will have. David Alayón, from Innuba, recalls the so-called Amara law: “We tend to overstate the short-term effects of a new technology, while underestimating its long-term result.” With endless possibilities to explore and unsuspected capacities, we can’t wait to see what development will bring in 2023.