One of the most common questions asked by many is, “When will life ever get back to normal?” For two years our lives have been upended by the Covid-19 pandemic. While there was hope that the vaccine would end the pandemic, it does not seem to be possible. While the available vaccines may cause waning immunity in some, it is still helpful to get the jabs to prevent severe illness. Covid-19 is here to stay but there is no need to despair. The pandemic has shaped our world in different ways, jolting us to awareness of how things can be changed or are already changed and we need to adapt. Here are some trends we can look forward to in 2022.
Artificial Intelligence
Just a few years ago, everyone was talking about smart technology. But the term “smart” really refers to connected technology, where our TVs, mobile phones, and other home technology are connected to the internet. The term for this is the “internet of all things” or IoT. Today, this increasingly means the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning algorithms to help us advance technologically in innovative ways.
Smartphones now come with AI capabilities to help us do just about everything from taking great pictures to maintaining good call quality. Smart cars are the next big thing where AI uses facial recognition to detect if we are paying attention to the road or if we are feeling tired while driving. Even smart toilets are on their way! Your toilet will soon be able to help you diagnose gastrointestinal issues by using computer vision to analyze stool samples.
The Impact of 5G
5G is going to help further IoT because of the latency and bandwidth improvements it can offer. The IoT opportunities that will benefit from mobile and cellular connectivity include transportation, manufacturing, faring, and smart cities. 5G could even make new and emerging use and applications a true reality - such as connected cars, which require lightning-fast and low latency technologies.
We can expect to see connected communities with the advent of 5G technology. As the 5G implementations increase, so will the need for good security where telecom players have been bolstering their next-gen networks with added encryption and additional defenses at the edge of the network.
Circular Economy
It’s not good enough that we are moving towards a technology-based economy, because the technology uses a lot of energy and threatens to make climate change even worse. Therefore, having a circular economy is becoming a must-have. Retailers now have to design products from daily use to packaging with reuse in mind. Even fashion houses are unveiling their “circular fashion spaces”. Consumers like to purchase second-hand products because they are more affordable, unique, and for some, it's to save the planet by reusing. 64% of online consumers from France, the UK, and the US prefer to buy environmentally sustainable products.
Digitisation, datafication and virtualisation
Throughout the pandemic, we have mostly gotten used to the virtualisation of our offices and workplaces as remote working arrangements were swiftly put into place. This flexibility to be able to work remotely anywhere may become a long-term trend.
By 2022, we may become used to the term “metaverse”, interestingly a new company name adopted by Facebook. This is due to the persistent digital worlds that exist in the physical world we live in. Inside these metaverses, as proposed by Mark Zuckerberg will carry out many of the functions we are used to doing in the real world - from working, socialising to playing together.
While many of us have experienced somewhat immersive virtual realities through headsets, a range of new devices to the market will soon improve the experience by offering tactile feedback and even smells.
Music Trends
We can’t ignore future exciting trends for music as well. Music is becoming part of the gaming trend. Although their crossovers are not something new, musicians such as Travis Scott’s live performance on Fortnite, which pulled in an impressive 28 million gamers, will become something common.
Brand exposure during these virtual performances is bringing in a new era of advertising. Travis Scott was wearing his signature Nike Air Jordan 1’s during his Fortnite performance and it places the product in front of millions of eyes, bringing the shopping process closer than before.
We may also be seeing the last of record labels as popularity is now measured in numbers, thrusting talents from YouTube and other platforms to new heights. Marketing is also no longer run by corporate offices and is now managed by independent artists thanks to endless information and tools available on the web.
AI will also have a role to play in how music is composed in the future. AI can be used to harmonise melodies and it makes sense that future record labels might be interested in using AI rather than to lose profits to artists and other humans working on a job that can be automated.
Do you have any new trends to look forward to in 2022 that you would like to share with us at Ritmo Music Studio? Drop us a comment, we love to hear from you!
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