Top 10 Tech Disruptions Over the Past 10 Years

Technology is changing at such a rapid pace that we have seen many tech disruptions in a relatively short time.  A “disruptive technology” displaces an established technology, thereby shaking up an industry and reshaping its future trajectory. A tech disruptor could also be a ground-breaking product that creates an entirely new industry.  Join our drive down the technology superhighway as we rediscover the top tech disruptions over the past 10 years and dive into what’s next. 2014: Amazon Echo Brings the IoT Home Amazon Echo barreled into our lives this year, causing us to rethink how we might use technology in our homes. Powered by Amazon’s voice control system, Alexa, the Echo started with just a few intelligent voice commands. Alexa now boasts thousands of “skills” and has become the central hub in so-called smart homes, making the Internet of Things (IoT) accessible to a much wider audience. Followed quickly by Google Home and, more recently, by Apple HomePod, this technology is sure to continue to grow. 2015: Autonomous Vehicles Inspire Change The autonomous car, aka the self-driving car, is envisioned as one capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input. The quest to develop technologies that could enable such a feat began to rise in 2015. Consumers have benefitted from numerous changes in car technology (think adaptive speed tech, proximity sensors, guidance systems, etc.) as manufacturers began pursuing this vision. This dramatic reshaping of the automotive industry certainly deserves a call-out. 2016: Oculus Rift Opens Up Virtual Reality Virtual reality has been a concept for decades, providing increasing value in various fields such as military training, surgery simulation, and product development and testing. Although Google had been selling Google Glass prototypes since 2013, VR’s availability to consumers was limited until the introduction of Oculus Rift in 2016. With its launch, VR exploded into many homes. The system was a hot gift and introduced the concept of VR to a broader audience—it’s hard not to enjoy (or laugh with?) someone experiencing VR for the first time! 2017: AI Takes the Stage Artificial intelligence (AI) is a science-fiction trope brought to life. With numerous large companies investing billions of dollars on research in this field, it’s poised to influence how we live and work in the coming years. Applications include everything from automating tasks using bots to enabling computers to answer complex, multi-tiered questions by “learning” from previous queries. 2018: 5G Begins Its Rollout As connectivity became more ubiquitous, fast and reliable internet demand increased. It’s not enough to watch a streaming movie in the middle of nowhere—it has to be smooth! Beginning in 2018, 5G promised to bring more channels for higher speed, lower latency, and greater bandwidth for more connected devices. But 5G wasn’t exciting for smartphone fans only: the benefits had implications for healthcare, education, smart homes, connected cars, and more. 2019: 3D Printers Revolutionize the 4th Industrial Revolution Although the technology and equipment for 3D printing were available in the mid-1980s, they were imprecise, bulky, and costly. Thirty years later, 3D printing became mainstream. This disruptive technology emerged in 2019 as part of predictive maintenance in manufacturing. Smart sensors helped identify potential problems, and 3D printers built new parts before they were needed. 2020: Passwordless Authentication Hits Big Tech For many of us, forgetting our passwords is a daily occurrence, but those days are largely behind us, thanks to the push for passwordless authentication in 2020. While the world stood still during the COVID-19 pandemic, big tech companies like Microsoft began to push for two-factor authentication and passwordless logins, and an identity management startup called Beyond Identity launched its passwordless identity platform in April of that year. Companies like Adobe and Facebook began using new security features to give us the luxury of forgetting those complicated passwords, and today, there are even more solutions to sign on faster. 2021: IoT Builds the Virtual World Technology automation through IoT didn’t begin in 2021, but this year brought a boon for intelligent everything. The IoT connects objects in the real world—navigation systems, thermostats, your virtual assistant, Alexa—with virtual identifiers on the internet. These identifiers “talk” virtually to create a web of connections and collaborations between the devices. Although IoT has been used in home-based applications, 2021 brought the technology to new areas, including manufacturing, mining, and healthcare. 2022: ChatGPT Redefines Human-Computer Interaction In 2022, ChatGPT emerged as the undeniable frontrunner and the most influential tech disruption of the year. Developed by OpenAI, this groundbreaking language model harnessed the power of the GPT-3.5 architecture to revolutionize human-computer interactions. ChatGPT evolved beyond traditional chatbots into a sophisticated conversational AI companion that can understand context, generate coherent responses, and adapt to users’ needs. Its applications spanned diverse industries, from customer support to creative writing, education, and even healthcare. As ChatGPT continuously learned and evolved, it showcased the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, leaving an indelible mark on the technology landscape of 2022 and beyond. 2023: Apple Vision Pro Unleashes the Power of Spatial Computing In 2023, spatial computing, specifically the Apple Vision Pro, emerged with plenty of fanfare. Years earlier, Apple’s visionary smartwatch had cemented Apple as the leader in wearable technology. If realized, the Apple Vision Pro’s promise is to enable users to seamlessly integrate virtual elements into their physical surroundings, unlocking unparalleled immersion and productivity. It’s a future where the days of limited screen real estate are gone; users can effortlessly interact with a vast array of applications and data in a three-dimensional, contextually aware environment. Apple’s take on spatial computing could substantiate VR’s position as an indispensable tool. In communication, productivity, and entertainment, VR wearables could change the way we perceive and interact with not just our Apple devices but technology writ large. 2024: Smart Phones Get Smarter With Generative AI Generative AI itself isn’t a new technology—we were first introduced to this transformational tech in 2022 with ChatGPT’s launch—but 2024 is the year AI will become a part of our daily lives. Android devices launched in 2024 included Gemini Live, an AI voice chat feature, Galaxy AI to suggest content correction and real-time translations, and AI photo editing features in the Google Pixel to zoom, recompose, and add items to your photos. In September, Apple introduced Apple Intelligence as part of the iOS 18 update, accompanying AI-driven features in the latest versions of the iPhone 16. These features bring the benefits of AI to consumers who may have been intimidated by complex prompting and inaccurate responses that have plagued first-generation AI models and made AI accessible to millions of smartphone users. What’s next? Tech disruptions in the 21st century have transformed our reality into a digital-first experience. Technology is changing faster than ever. Backed by a confluence of all these giant leaps forward, the future is a brave new world. Our predictions for what’s next include: Prediction 1: AI-Driven Personalization Enhances the Customer Experience According to a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, AI is expected to drive significant business change in the coming years. Digital transformation is now more about AI integration. As AI continues to integrate deeply into our digital lives, offering personalized experiences across platforms becomes the new norm. Users are already encountering tailored content, services, and product recommendations that cater precisely to their preferences in e-commerce, entertainment, content consumption, and even healthcare. Our marketing team likes to call it “AI for the masses.” However, this era of heightened personalization is also bringing data privacy and ethical AI usage to the forefront, driving the need for responsible AI development and regulation to ensure user trust and societal well-being. Prediction 2: MedTech Improves Access & Patient Outcomes Generative AI and real-world evidence are revolutionizing healthcare by driving precision medicine and accurately predicting patient behavior. Large language models (LLMs) are stepping up as digital diagnosticians, aiding clinicians in reducing errors and refining treatment plans. Information has become the new healthcare currency in this data-driven era, crucial for tailoring care and elevating patient outcomes. Meanwhile, AI-powered medical chatbots are the unsung heroes of healthcare, automating everything from data encryption to appointment scheduling. Their functionality and cost-effectiveness make them essential for healthcare providers aiming to boost patient engagement and streamline operations. Prediction 3: Augmented Reality & Accessibility Fuel Tech for Good Building on the foundation of AI, augmented reality (AR) and accessibility features are emerging as powerful forces for social good in the tech industry. AR is moving beyond entertainment, finding applications in education, healthcare, and workforce training. For instance, AR is being used to create immersive learning experiences for students with different learning styles and to assist medical professionals in complex procedures. By focusing on AR and accessibility, businesses can not only tap into new markets and enhance user experiences but also contribute to a more inclusive and equitable digital landscape. This approach aligns with growing consumer expectations for socially responsible businesses and can drive both innovation and positive social impact. Prediction 4: Sustainable Cloud Computing Drives Green Innovation Cloud computing is evolving beyond just a tool for digital transformation—it’s becoming a cornerstone of corporate sustainability efforts. As environmental concerns take center stage, cloud technologies are imperative in the fight against climate change. Enterprises adopting green cloud practices will report significant reductions in IT-related energy costs, which can be reinvested into innovation. This shift towards sustainable cloud computing is a strategic move that resonates with consumers attracts top talent, and drives long-term business growth. More Transformative Digital Solutions At InspiringApps, we’re passionate about harnessing the power of tech’s newest disruptions to create transformative digital solutions. More than that, we’re thrilled to collaborate with our clients’ brilliant ideas and make them a reality. Could your digital product idea be the next big thing in your industry? See how we helped Fidelity National Financial create a transformative solution for the real estate industry with their award-winning product, inHere.