Tomorrow’s tech

Tech moves fast, and this year, the breakthroughs are expected to come faster than ever. MIT Technology Review has published a list of the biggest projects and advancements that are pushing tech boundaries and shaping the future. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just curious about where innovation is heading, here’s what to keep an eye on.

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Old-school search engines are soon to fade into irrelevance: GenAI has shown us that search engines have their limits — particularly as the name of the game becomes aggregating relevant results into one solid answer, not just compiling a list of sources, with the next vista being a world of friendly AI assistants rather than info banks.

But the AI world isn’t all about huge models that need massive resources to work. Small language models are quietly making a big impact, especially in environments where computational efficiency matters most. These models will pack a punch in terms of performance but use less power, making them ideal for applications on the go.

It’s not only the supercomputers that are driving innovation, though. In a rapidly warming world, every climate change contributor needs a fix, and cow burps — a surprisingly serious source of methane emissions — are no exception. Some low-tech solutions are currently in the works to curb these burps, with companies like DSM and Blue Ocean Barns exploring seaweed-based feed supplements to reduce methane production in cattle.

The aviation industry is also taking up sky-high sustainability measures. The aviation industry is notorious for its carbon footprint, but innovations in cleaner jet fuel could change the landscape. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs), which come from agricultural waste and even algae, aim to reduce carbon emission from flights up to 50% or more — without sacrificing speed or convenience. Even though their price tag is hefty, companies such as Gevo and LanzaJet are already making these fuels a reality — with growing support from United Airlines and airplane manufacturer Boeing.

Companies are increasingly looking for ways to green up material production: Produced with hydrogen rather than coal, green steel can reduce carbon emissions from steel production by as much as 90%. Companies like SSAB and H2 Green Steel are leading the way, with new production plants under construction in Europe.

Robotaxis may finally be on their way in. Despite Elon Musk’s failure to launch his promised robotaxis on time, other contenders have stepped up to the challenge. Robotaxis, like those being tested by Waymo and Baidu, are already picking up passengers in cities like San Francisco and Beijing. With autonomous vehicles now operating on the streets, the promise of a driverless, safer, and more efficient transportation system could be within reach. Still, this tech remains in the experimental phase, with significant regulatory, safety, and ethical details still to be worked out.

Robots could soon usher in a future of smart and agile work. No longer confined to repetitive tasks, robots now have the ability to learn new ones in record time. Take Amazon’s Kiva robots, for example: these robots can now use AI to navigate warehouses, move products, and even learn new tasks without needing to be programmed from scratch.

A new era for healthcare: Recent advancements in healthcare are revolutionizing the treatment and prevention of chronic conditions, thanks to stem cell therapies leading the charge, with companies like Vertex and StemCells, Inc. at the helm. Stem cell therapies are gaining traction, with promising results in areas such as diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson's Disease, spinal cord injuries, and heart disease.