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16 Experts Predict The Tech Trends That Will Dominate Industry In 2022

Forbes Technology Council

Tech trends can change on a dime—for example, the Covid-19 pandemic caused many companies to reactively switch their tech focus to enabling and supporting remote work. Still, industry watchers generally have insight into likely upcoming developments—they named cybersecurity and the Internet of Things as trends to watch in 2021, and there’s no doubt these topics have generated plenty of headlines this year. 

The tech experts of Forbes Technology Council have their own predictions about the technologies and trends they believe will dominate not only the tech industry but business in general in the year ahead. From continued upgrades to artificial intelligence, voice search and battery technology to the rise of “citizen developers,” here are their predictions and reasons for new and continuing tech trends in 2022.

1. Automation

The critical focus in 2022 will be on automation. Similar to the shift from labor arbitrage to effective production using automation in the industrial space, I predict that technologies such as robotic process automation, natural language processing and intelligent document processing will continue to reduce dependence on human labor for subjective tasks. - Ahmed Zaidi, Accelirate

2. Predictive Analytics

Together, data analytics, data lake consolidation and predictive analysis are going to be big trends in the entire IT industry. Even the IoT and cybersecurity are heavily driven by advanced predictive analytics techniques. Predictive analytics tools are going to be big game-changers in almost every industry and in every domain of business. - Nilesh Jain, Trend Micro


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3. Focus On Software Quality Standards

The trend for 2022 and beyond will be a focus on quality. Software solutions will be embedded in our day-to-day lives and in most of the goods and appliances we are using. Consequently, software will have to meet the quality standards of the manufacturing industry. Currently, this is rarely the case, which leads to issues, such as the problems with Boeing’s MCAS system, which caused the Boeing 737 MAX accidents. - Andreas Golze, Cognizant

4. Smart City Technologies

Smart city technologies will continue to be a rising software trend into 2022 and beyond. The rapid growth of the urban population is creating a need for more effective and efficient cities. Smart cities fill that need by facilitating collaboration across diverse agencies, departments and organizations, resulting in more integrated services for a better and more sustainable citizen experience. - Kalyn Sims, Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure Division

5. Web 3.0

Web 3.0, comprising AI-driven services, decentralized data architectures and edge computing, is the next big trend. AI determines what you’re looking for and puts additional ideas in front of you. Decentralized data architectures reshape peer-to-peer transactions. Edge computing, along with the rise of 5G, accelerates user connections. As these three come together, the next industrial revolution will be upon us. - Jordan McQuown, George Jon

6. Low-Code/No-Code Solutions

2022 will continue to see growth in low-code/no-code solutions and the rise of the citizen developer movement. Access to enterprise-grade technology has been democratized, allowing companies of all sizes to modernize. Similarly, access to purpose-built solutions designed for the unique use cases of a business will empower employees to both identify issues and to implement and iterate ways to solve data and process challenges. - Shaheen Yazdani, Intercept

7. Transparency About Software

More people will demand to know what their software is made of. Whether it’s a “nutrition label,” “bill of materials” or something similar, organizations will demand that vendors account for all the software used in apps and devices, where the software came from, how it was built and tested, and how it’s being maintained. In a few years, selling opaque software will be the exception rather than the rule. - Sammy Migues, Synopsys Software Integrity Group

8. Adoption Of Cloud Technology

There is no doubt that the adoption of cloud technology will continue to grow. As Covid-19 lingers, companies are continuing the adoption of cloud infrastructures. If you run a company with employees located around the globe, cloud technology is a great way to make applications available to your employees that enable them to collaborate and be productive. Open-source technology is there to help with the adoption. - Manish Mittal, OpenSource Technologies Inc.

9. Deep Fakes

Look for deep fakes—that is, AI-powered forgeries that use social engineering techniques to deceive—to move from novelties to potential calamities in 2022. While the deployment of these technologies can affect everything from public policy to social media platforms, their most corrosive impact on any enterprise is the undermining of trust. - Adam Stern, Infinitely Virtual

10. Voice Search Technology

I believe we will see more businesses make use of voice search technology in 2022. We’ve made tremendous strides in how we reach our customers through voice-search-specific keywords and optimization. But we expect to see the AI that “listens” to users get more sophisticated and useful in the coming years. - Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

11. Teleworking

Teleworking will continue to rise in 2022 and will bring advancements in software development. Companies worldwide will need to support hybrid forms of team management and collaboration so that their workforces’ productivity can grow. This new normal will expand even further in 2022, as the trend of conducting online meetings and video sales calls continues. - Adi Ekshtain, Amaryllis Payment Solutions

12. Battery Tech

Battery tech has been gaining traction for a while now, and 2022 is going to be a critical year for it. Progress is being made on two fronts. We’re seeing increasing efficiency for existing electric-powered devices such as cars, scooters, phones and so on. Additionally, we’re making more things that are powered by electricity, including airplanes. More funding from both government and private sectors is sure to lead us to a cleaner world. - Vikram Joshi, pulsd

13. Cyber Scoring

The new trend will be having a single risk monitor for your complete IT stack. It is important to be able to communicate your cybersecurity levels to people from different walks of life. A cyber score will be as important as a credit score in the future. Organizations will be required to maintain a certain number to qualify as safe. - Trishneet Arora, TAC Security

14. Ethical AI

While AI technology provides tremendous benefits, it’s facing challenges and posing risks to people when it comes to data security, data privacy and digital ethics. The tech industry will continue to discuss and develop common ethical principles, guidelines, policies and regulations to ensure that AIs being built will demonstrate ethical behaviors. - Zheng Fan, University of Miami Herbert Business School

15. Non-Fungible Tokens

In 2022 we will see companies dabbling in the creation of NFTs for a fee. The adoption of NFTs in the arts and entertainment space has been increasing exponentially in 2021, thus requiring expertise from organizations that understand the tokenization process and requirements. We will also see the emergence of more tokenization marketplaces in the decentralized space. - Amanda Dorenberg, COMMB

16. Replacement Of Legacy Systems

Legacy systems increase an organization’s risk of an attack or breach. Security vulnerabilities are an inadvertent and natural outcome when you implement a patchwork of outdated and inefficient solutions. Intentionally and periodically evaluate and modernize your technology stack and systems—that is how you stay competitive and safe. - Olga V. Mack, Parley Pro

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