Marketing 0

Next Tech Made Possible
It is important to note that much of the next tech was invented more
than half a century ago. Artificial intelligence, natural language
processing (NLP), and programmable robotics, for instance, have all
been around since the 1950s. The initial work on facial recognition
started in the 1960s. But why are they on the rise only in recent
years? The answer lies in the enabling technologies that were not as
powerful as they are today. Computers were not as powerful, and
data storage was still bulky and expensive. The rise of the next tech is
indeed made possible by the maturity of six enablers: computing
power, open-source software, the Internet, cloud computing, mobile
devices, and big data (see 
Figure 6.1
).
Computing Power
As technology becomes more advanced, it demands more powerful
yet cost-efficient hardware. The exponential increase in computing
power, especially the highly efficient graphics processing unit
(GPU), has made it possible to operate power-hungry technology
such as artificial intelligence. Advances in semiconductor technology
and the shrinking size of processors means more power and lower
energy consumption. It enables the AI machine to be small and local
to empower applications that need a real-time response, such as in
an autonomous car or a robot.

---

FIGURE 6.1
 The Six Enablers of Next Tech