The IEEE Computer Society has issued a list that details its predictions for the range of technology in 2022.
The list aims to help researchers to understand the future impact of the most disruptive technologies.
1. Security Cross-Cutting Issues
The growth of large data repositories and emergence of data analytics have combined with intrusions by bad actors, governments, and corporations to open a Pandora’s box of issues. How can we balance security and privacy in this environment?
2. Open Intellectual Property Movement
The growth of large data repositories and emergence of data analytics have combined with intrusions by bad actors, governments, and corporations to open a Pandora’s box of issues. How can we balance security and privacy in this environment?
3. Sustainability
Can electronic cars, LED lighting, new types of batteries and chips, and increasing use of renewables combat rising energy use and an explosion in the uptake of computing?
4. Massively Online open Courses
MOOCs have the potential to transform the higher-education landscape, siphoning students from traditional universities and altering faculty and student roles. How significant will their impact be?
5. Quantum Computing
Constrained only by the laws of physics, quantum computing will potential extend Moore’s Law into the next decade. As commercial quantum computing comes within reach, new breakthroughs are occurring at an accelerating pace.
6. Device and Nanotechnology
It is clear that MEMS devices, nanoparticles, and their use in applications are here to stay. Nanotechnology has already been useful in manufacturing sunscreen, tires, and medical devices that can be swallowed.
7. 3D Integrated Circuits
The transition from printed circuit boards to 3D-ICs is already underway in the mobile arena, and will eventually spread across the entire spectrum of IT products.
8. Universal Memory
Universal memory replacements for DRAM will cause a tectonic shift in architectures and software.
9. Multicore
By 2022, multicore will be everywhere, from wearable systems and smartphones to cameras, games, automobiles, cloud servers, and exa-scale supercomputers.
10. Photonics
Silicon photonics will be a fundamental technology to address the bandwidth, latency, and energy challenges in the fabric of high-end system.
11. Networking and Interconnectivity
Silicon photonics will be a fundamental technology to address the bandwidth, latency, and energy challenges in the fabric of high-end system.
12. SDN
OpenFlow and SDN will make networks more secure, transparent, flexible, and functional.
13. High-performance Computing
While some governments are focused on reaching exascale, some researchers are intent on moving HPC to the cloud.
14. Cloud Computing
By 2022, cloud will be more entrenched and more computing workloads run on the cloud.
15. The Internet of Things
From clothes that monitor our movements to smart homes and cities, the Internet of Things knows no bounds, except for our concerns about ensuring privacy amid such convenience.
16. Natural User Interfaces
The long-held dreams of computers that can interface with us through touch, gesture, and speech are finally coming true, with more radical interfaces on the horizon.
17. 3D Printing
3D printing promises a revolution in fabrication, with many opportunities to produce designs that would have been prohibitively expensive.
18. Big Data and Analytics
The growing availability of data and demand for its insights holds great potential to improve many data-driven decisions.
19. Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems
Machine learning plays an increasingly important role in our lives, whether it’s ranking search results, recommending products, or building better models of the environment.
20. Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Unlocking information in pictures and videos has had a major impact on consumers and more significant advances are in the pipeline.
21. Life Sciences
Technology has been pivotal in improving human and animal health and addressing threats to the environment.
22. Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Vast amounts of data are enabling the improvement of human health and unraveling of the mysteries of life.
23. Medical Robotics
From autonomous delivery of hospital supplies to telemedicine and advanced prostheses, medical robotics has led to many life-saving innovations.
Read the full report here.