With 2019 more than halfway over, let’s take a moment to check out this year’s top tech trends and see how they’re holding up.

• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Digital centralization
• 5G
• Voice recognition software
• User interface (UI) overhauls

Voice recognition software

Microsoft’s latest test has voice recognition software at a higher success rate than human transcribers, at a 5.1 percent error rate. Robotic speech and chatbots are also becoming increasingly sophisticated. Thanks to ‘deep learning’ technology, which helps the dictation software achieve greater levels of accuracy the more you use it, speech recognition is more accurate and responsive than ever before and include voice commands too.

Digital centralization

Over the last 10 years, many different devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and dozens of other “smart” appliances have entered the home and our daily lives, whether navigation tools or turning on the heating at home. With so many smart devices that can be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world, digital centralization manages everything using as few devices and central locations as possible. Smart speakers are the current digital centralization trend, but the rise of something even better is expected.

5G

A 5G network, with 5G phones, is expected by the end of 2019. 5G internet has the potential to be almost 10 times faster than 4G, potentially and reduced latency creates the means to use a mobile device connection as a replacement for cable modem and Wi-Fi. This means that bandwidth issues are consigned to history; the download and upload of files is quick and easy, and a 4K video is ready to watch almost immediately, with no buffering. 5G will be able to handle current devices and emerging technologies such as driverless cars and connected home products. There are security issues with 5G around cyber threats, identity theft, data management that still need to be worked on.

Artificial intelligence

The friendly rivalry continues in the field of AI (artificial intelligence). It is being incorporated into almost every new chip, which will affect every platform, app, and device. Whilst the revolution in safe driverless cars is still a way off, AI has permeated almost every industry. It is now being used to diagnose diabetic retinopathy, potentially saving the sight of millions of people unable to access medical care. AI will not replace physicians but provides another tool to provide care. As well as being a lifesaver, AI is also becoming an important tool for environmental scientists and researchers trying to reverse climate change, develop clean energy, and revolutionize agriculture, and is already set to empower astronauts in space.

User interface (UI) overhauls

With so many technological advances, how we interact with our apps and devices will need to be rethought since smart speakers and better voice recognition means looking at a screen to input data is no longer necessary. New audio-visual clues will most likely be included in next-generation UI, which will have easy uptake as they serve consumer demands.