The technology world in 2024 continues to witness the strong rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the spread of humanoid robots, and the impressive recovery of the cryptocurrency market.
AI creation explodes
Over the past year, artificial intelligence has penetrated deeply into every area of life. At the same time, a series of companies participated in the race to develop humanoid robots, bringing many significant breakthroughs.
The competition between generative AI has been likened to the battle between Microsoft and Netscape in the 1990s for the top browser position. Outstanding products are continuously being improved such as ChatGPT with GPT-4 or o1, Google Bard transformed into Gemini, Microsoft integrated Copilot into Office and Windows, while Meta deployed AI on Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and other platforms. web.
Other names such as Character.AI, Viggle, Pixverse, Luma AI also affirm their own marks. Besides, Chinese companies such as Baidu, Alibaba, and ByteDance also quickly launched similar AIs. However, experts say that these products are still more similar than true breakthroughs.
Expanding the trend from photo AI to video creation, OpenAI took the lead when it announced the Sora model in February. Next, Google introduced Veo, Runway introduced Gen-3 Alpha, Meta launched Movie Gen, and Adobe also entered the game with its own AI video tool. Among them, Sora was commercialized in early December, while other competitors are still in the testing stage.
AI also makes its mark on the 2024 Nobel Prize when important awards are given to leading experts in this field. Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield received the Nobel Prize in Physics for research that is fundamental to modern AI. Meanwhile, David Baker, John Jumper and Demis Hassabis were honored with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work in decoding proteins using AI.
Artificial super intelligence (AGI) is also gradually becoming a reality when OpenAI announced o1 on December 5, designed to reason logically and give more accurate responses. Previously, Elon Musk and many experts predicted that AGI would appear within the next 1-2 years.
AI Phone
Since the beginning of 2024, at the CES exhibition, smartphone models integrated with artificial intelligence have been officially launched, starting a new race in the mobile technology industry. AI Phone models are capable of processing data locally, helping to reduce dependence on Internet and cloud connections.
Typical products such as Humane AI Integrated Battery GPT-4, Rabbit R1 with button control, or Brain AI using voice created initial excitement. However, these devices still face many limitations in actual use, causing them to only be sold in limited quantities or discontinued.
The trend of combining local AI and cloud AI is expected to dominate in the near future. Google pioneered the Pixel 8 Pro in late 2023, followed by the Samsung Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra with its AI Portrait feature. Apple also did not stand aside when integrating ChatGPT into iPhone through the Apple Intelligence platform. This trend is expected to continue to grow strongly in the coming years.
Humanoid robots break through
Humanoid robots become the focus of attention in 2024, with fierce competition between US and Chinese companies.
In the US, Tesla's Optimus has achieved great advances such as moving on difficult terrain, performing household chores such as cracking eggs and even practicing yoga. Boston Dynamics' Atlas also impressed when demonstrating its ability to automatically perform complex tasks without human intervention.
Meanwhile, Chinese companies such as Wisson Technology, UBTech, and Era Robot are focused on demonstrating diverse tasks, from rock climbing, to stick dancing, to assisting in manufacturing plants. In particular, Unitree Robotics is preparing to put the G1 robot into mass production, marking an important step in the commercialization of robots.
Cryptocurrency flourishes
The cryptocurrency market also recorded a spectacular revival this year. In early 2024, Bitcoin price fluctuated around 42,000 – 45,000 USD, and by mid-December the value had exceeded the 105,000 USD mark.
According to CoinTelegraph, this prosperity stems from the US Securities Commission's approval of a Bitcoin ETF, creating conditions for users to easily invest without directly owning Bitcoin. In addition, Donald Trump's unexpected support during the presidential campaign was also a motivating factor. He pledged to turn America into a “cryptocurrency capital” if elected.
Wave of technology layoffs
After major layoffs in 2023, a second wave of layoffs continues this year. According to data from Layoffs.fyi, nearly 150,000 employees at 529 technology companies have been laid off, with big names like Intel, Dell, and Cisco being the hardest hit.
Experts say the cause of this cutback comes from automation and a shift in priority to AI projects, leading to the streamlining of traditional departments that are no longer suitable.
Blue screen problem
On July 19, a series of large systems globally, including airports, hospitals and businesses, were suddenly interrupted due to the “Blue Screen Of Death” (BSOD) incident. causing billions of dollars in damage.
The cause was determined to be from a software update by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. They admitted that the error occurred because the update quality testing process was not strict enough, leading to many devices running Windows having problems. According to Microsoft's announcement, there are about 8.5 million computers affected, but experts believe that the actual number is much larger.
This event is considered a warning about excessive dependence on technology service providers. Although technology brings convenience, today's complex systems can easily collapse due to seemingly small errors. This poses a requirement to increase stability and safety in the design and operation of technology systems.