In the field of education, technological advances can be felt in the midst of a pandemic that has hit the whole world during 2021. Teaching and learning activities that are usually carried out in person can be done at home and can be done online via video calls. This is done by all levels of education, from kindergarten to university.

So, what are the latest technologies that are trending in 2021? Check out the following review!

Technology Trends Throughout 2021

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most revolutionary technological inventions today. The existence of AI is very beneficial for startups or start-ups to minimize business operational costs. Especially in 2021, many companies are starting to use AI whose systems and designs are tailored to their respective visions, missions, and business fields.

Big companies that have used and implemented AI include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and many more. Given that these three companies have large user bases, you can imagine how many tens of millions of people are using their AI creations.

The existence of AI cannot be denied also threatens many jobs that were previously done by humans. AI makes jobs such as data entry, tax calculations, to toll ticket payments more sophisticated without the need for human labor. For the company, this is beneficial because it cuts costs incurred to pay employees.

5G Data Network

5G technology is still being developed by many developed countries in the world. The need for an increasingly widespread internet must of course be balanced with adequate signal strength and speed. The advantages of the 5G network compared to its predecessors are in super-fast download and upload speeds, supported by a more stable connection.

In Indonesia itself, the 5G network trial began in April 2019. However, until now the network is not yet available in all regions in Indonesia. With the 5G network, it is hoped that people around the world can enjoy the internet more comfortably and can meet their individual needs.

Streaming movies in high quality is no longer a problem with this super-fast network. Not only that, but all kinds of transactions made using an internet connection also become smoother.

Countries such as South Korea and China, which are early adopters in the field of new technology, are entering the enhanced mobile broadband (emBB) phase, which means that it will take some time until 5G is ready to be enjoyed worldwide.

Autonomo Driver

The presence of AI and 5G will support the emergence of new technologies, namely autonomous drivers or cars that can run on their own without being controlled by humans. Even though many countries in the world are currently developing this technology, to be able to make this autonomous driver run perfectly, a 5G data network is needed that can ensure data input from users runs smoothly and AI that ensures the car can run and get to its destination.

If this technology is ready, then there is no need to hire a private driver because just by sitting still in the car, you can get to your destination. One company that is keen to develop this technology is Tesla. Tesla chairman, Elon Musk, said that his company hopes that this technology can already be launched in 2020.

Driver autonomy is certainly not impossible, considering that the latest edition cars are already equipped with automatic braking and automatic lane changing technology on the railroad tracks.

Voice Search

This technology must be familiar to your ears. Voice search has started to be used on smartphones about 4 to 5 years ago and has been proven to make it easier for users who want to find information. Without having to type keywords in a search engine, they can already get the desired information.

This voice command technology can not only be used in search engines, but can also run other commands. For example, reading emails and messages, scheduling meetings, and making calls to contacts on smartphones. The existence of Google Assistant proves that hundreds of millions of people in the world use voice search using smartphones.

Extended Reality

If they're used to be Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR), then in 2020 there is Extended Reality (XR) which is more sophisticated than the three. XR is an improvement over its predecessors, which is a combination of AR and VR which makes it easier for users to perform simulations and training. This technology allows businesses to interact with their customers.

Blockchain

Accounting records or ledgers are now more sophisticated and practical with the existence of blockchain. Blockchain is a technology that can be used to record transactions like a ledger. Data security is more guaranteed with this technology because it is decentralized and encrypted.

This is a surprising trend as in 2019 blockchain was widely criticized as a redundant technology and its usefulness was not as high as many had expected. However, thanks to what IBM, Mastercard, Walmart, and FedEx did over the past year, Blockchain technology has developed rapidly and can be applied to the public immediately.

The sectors that will experience significant changes thanks to the discovery of this technology are retail and fintech.

Live Chat and Video Stream

The pandemic in 2020 has made live chat and video streaming very popular in various sectors and circles. The social distancing and social distancing policies mean that public events such as seminars and concerts are canceled throughout the year. These two technologies have different functions and benefits for business people.

Live chat, for example, can be used by shop owners to interact with their customers and help customers complete transactions more easily. Meanwhile, video streaming helps businesses to brand their products. This can help small and medium-sized entrepreneurs cut the costs used to advertise their products. The existence of video streaming has also begun to shift television, which used to be the only entertainment medium.

Internet of Things

Internet of Things or IoT is a technology that has been developing for a long time and is getting more sophisticated every year. IoT has proven a lot to have an impact on modern business and is expected to continue to expand in the future.

In addition, IoT has also entered many devices or gadgets that are used in everyday life. For example, the presence of smart TVs, refrigerators, and much more. This proves that IoT can not only be used by business actors, but also by consumers.

In Asian Pacific itself, the implementation of IoT cannot be said to be optimal. However, the government and business actors continue to strive to accelerate the development and application of IoT in various sectors.

Fintech

Fintech is a new term derived from a combination of two words, namely finance (finance) and technology (technology). This is an innovation that is developing very rapidly in 2020. The main players in this innovation are startups or start-ups that create financial products that are different from conventional banking.

Fintech is one of the most rapidly transforming industries. The services provided by fintech are not only lending or borrowing, but also include blockchain, insurtech, regtech, and many more.

Fintech also makes credit decisions faster and easier. In just a matter of hours, customers can get liquid funds. Loans are processed online, without the need for face-to-face contact between creditors and debtors.

Health Technology

Startups in the health technology field are among those that are experiencing rapid development in 2020. Moreover, with the pandemic in 2020, health is the sector that gets the most attention. This is used by startup developers to provide health facilities and services that can be easily accessed by anyone and anywhere.

The services provided by this health technology application include reservations and doctor directories to consultations that can be done online. Not only that, many health applications allow consumers to buy and order medicines from home without having to go to a pharmacy.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing or cloud computing is a technology that is still being developed, including in 2020. Cloud computing offers many advantages such as easy access from anywhere, larger capacity, and of course more guaranteed data security.

Cloud computing provides different storage capacities, which can be tailored to customer needs and capabilities. This service is widely known as "pay as you use" or pay according to the capacity paid.

Gaming Voice

One technology that is being enjoyed by various groups is voice gaming. With this technology, fellow gamers can communicate easily between team members. If in the past this technology was limited and could only be used on certain devices, now mobile games are also equipped with this kind of technology.

This technology is expected to continue to develop in the years to come. Game enthusiasts are also increasing, especially with the new branch, namely e-sports, which is also being competed in world sports championships, namely the Olympics.