4 Exciting Tech Developments from 2024 (and the inventions they’ve made possible)

4 exciting tech developments from 2024 (and the inventions they’ve made possible)

With so much info out there, it’s hard to keep up with everything that’s going on in the technology space. Which is why we’ve pulled together some of the most significant technologies of 2024 – those technologies that are still making huge breakthroughs, and spurring incredible new inventions. 

Generative AI

There’s no denying that generative AI continues to be a hugely disruptive technology. Here, tools like Open AI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini create new content from unstructured data prompts, such as natural language requests or images. Depending on the AI model, the content created could be anything: a draft email, poem, recipe, computer code, image, video or piece of music. 

One of the big progressions in 2024 has been the move towards multi-modal generative AIs – AIs that can take prompts in a variety of formats and then produce content in a variety of formats. As an example, Gemini can now produce images as well as text. Also in the last year or so, the size of prompts that these generative AI tools can process has grown enormously. A paper by McKinsey likened the growth to going from adding one research paper as a prompt, to suddenly being able to add 20 novels as a prompt.[i] 

What’s more, the quality of content that generative AIs can produce is staggering. One good example comes from Runway’s Gen-3 Alpha model, which is capable of producing mind-blowing AI-generated videos. Runway’s technology is so impressive, the AI startup has recently partnered with Lionsgate to bring AI to movie production.[ii]

Given all this, it’s perhaps no wonder that investments, innovation and adoption continues to surge around generative AI. That same McKinsey paper noted that generative AI job postings had increased 111% in the course of a year – a huge increase at a time when job postings in some other areas of technology have contracted.

Electrification and renewables

Encompassing all things energy production, storage, and distribution, electrification and renewables is another area that’s seeing a lot of innovation. This includes innovations in solar and wind power, nuclear and hydrogen, and energy storage and distribution solutions, such as long-duration battery systems.

One great example is the Torus Nova Spin – a mechanical battery, made from 95% recycled materials, that can last 25 years. That’s three times longer than the average chemical battery. How does it work? Basically, grid power or solar panels power the unit, which is roughly the size of a dishwasher and has a spinning rotor inside. Then, in the event of a power cut, the rotor’s kinetic energy can be turned back into electricity.

Interestingly, electrification and renewables is another area where McKinsey noticed an increase in job postings.

Other climate technologies

Beyond electrification and renewables, there have also been important developments in other climate technologies – basically, any solutions that mitigate our impact on the climate or the resulting effects.   

A great example is Aquaria’s atmospheric water generators. Yes, you read that right – devices that generate water from the atmosphere for human consumption. Aquaria’s systems work by sucking in air and passing it through multiple filters to condense the humidity out. The resulting water is then purified for human use. The company has just embarked on a major project in Hawaii that will see 1,000 homes installed with atmospheric water generators – which will eventually be able to produce 260 gallons of water a day.[iii] It’s an exciting prospect for the fight against global water shortages. 

Immersive technologies (VR, MR and AR)

This encompasses the full range of immersive-reality technologies, from a fully computer-generated space (virtual reality, VR), to computer-generated objects being superimposed onto the real world around us (augmented reality, AR), with mixed reality (MR) sitting in between. Here, spatial computing is used to interpret physical space (for example, by leveraging sensors in a VR headset to understand the user’s gestures) and then simulate a virtual world, complete with people, objects and other data.

One cool innovation in this space comes from Breylon’s Ultra Reality desktop monitor, which projects an immersive 122-inch, IMAX-like image, with a 110-degree field of view. In other words, we’re talking about a highly immersive virtual reality experience, without the need for goggles or a headset. 

The key takeaway

No doubt about it, generative AI remains the biggest breakthrough technology in 2024, but it’s safe to say this has been a year of consolidation as the crazy AI hype has slowed down. That’s a good thing, though, as it allows for a greater focus on actual implementation of this incredibly powerful technology.

Here at Roc Search, we pride ourselves on keeping our finger on the tech pulse, so we can connect the right talent with the best jobs. Whether you’re an employer looking to tap into technology talent, or a tech professional looking for your next technology job, we can help. Chat to our expert recruiters.