Technology moves quickly, improving and advancing year on year. And, true to form, an exciting array of new tech trends and emerging technologies will make their mark in 2024, set to do everything from providing us with new experiences to helping us be more efficient, creative and sustainable. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-quality 3D printing continuing next year, we take a look at the five leading new tech themes to look out for in 2024.

1. Sustainable Technology

As much as manufacturers compete for innovation and popularity, today the new frontier is sustainability. Many major tech companies have made ambitious plans to not only make their products with more recyclable materials, but to also be carbon neutral by the end of the decade. For example, Samsung is repurposing discarded fishing nets and using the material to construct its smartphones. 

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GIF series of tech products including Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung ear buds, and Galaxy Watch 5. 

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2. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)

ChatGPT and its ability to create content, summarise documents and make suggestions got us excited when it launched in late 2022. Microsoft was an early investor and is now developing and embedding the technology into its suite of apps including Word, Excel and Teams. The result is Microsoft 365 Copilot, an AI-powered assistant that is right by your side to help you analyse data, summarise your unread emails or write documents for you. 

Google is also developing its own version of generative artificial intelligence (generative AI) called Bard, while Amazon is working on similar systems that will eventually become part of the fabric of its operating systems and platforms. 

3. Passkeys

Internet security has long been a key area of focus for individuals and businesses trying to keep their accounts and data safe. The main lock on our virtual doors has been in the form of passwords, but soon that could become a thing of the past with the introduction of the passkey, which offers greater security and is a huge first step towards a password-free future. 

Passkeys work by using a unique digital key that is generated and stored on a secure section of your device. This replaces your password and eliminates the need to come up with a complicated code and then remember it – which can be a challenge in itself! After the digital key is generated, all that’s needed to access your account is a biometric verification like your fingerprint or facial recognition. 

Apart from convenience, this new tech innovation also offers greater security because it’s stored on the user’s device rather than a server, which can be vulnerable to data breaches because of cyber criminals. Passkeys are already being used by Google, PayPal and Adobe.

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4. Smart Home Automation 

Products like lights, cameras, speakers, doorbells and thermostats are already hugely popular in the smart home space, but managing them and setting smart routines is about to get a whole lot easier next year with the release of emerging technology Matter. It’s a new protocol that will unify all smart devices and allow them to be controlled in one place (currently different brands’ voice assistants can’t communicate with one another). 

Big-name companies such as Google, Amazon, Nanoleaf, Yale and Arlo have already signed up, making smart products from different brands working seamlessly together one step closer. So, if you’re thinking of making your home smart in 2024, there has never been a better time to get started.

Tech products including a smart lock, smart lights, smart speaker, an LED downlight and a Google nest hub.

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5. 3D Printing 

While 3D printing, the process of building an object layer by layer using mainly plastic, isn’t a new tech trend, its early days were quite primitive. In 2024, it will be a completely different story with better-quality results and a variety of new materials able to be used, including composite materials and metal. 

Next year, we’ll see larger-scale 3D printers using concrete to create actual buildings and there have even been advancements to make printed food. The use of 3D printing will also increase in 2024 in the medical community to create in-demand components such as heart valves, which are currently formed from animal tissue. 

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