Today, the rapid development of generative AI is of particular concern to Canada's tech industry and the world. But these are far from all the trends
From June 27th to 29th, the Focus21 team attended the Collision 2023 conference, an event for developers, start-ups, investors, and other tech industry participants. The event not only became a platform for the latest 'hysteria' about generative AI but also demonstrated the directions in which the world of technology will move. Collision is an annual conference that brings together creative developers and industry-changing companies, as well as educational institutions from all corners of the world and entire countries. Investors and event partners are also involved. All of this is, of course, covered by journalists.
From June 27 to 29, the Focus21 team attended the Collision 2023 conference, an event for developers, start-ups, investors, and other tech industry participants. The event not only became a platform for the latest 'hysteria' about generative AI but also demonstrated the directions in which the world of technology will move.
Collision is an annual conference that brings together creative developers and industry-changing companies, as well as educational institutions from all corners of the world and entire countries. Investors and event partners are also involved. All of this is, of course, covered by journalists.
An important feature of the event has always been the illustrious speakers who share their truly valuable insights. In 2023, trends were discussed by Adam Selipsky, CEO at Amazon Web Services (AWS), popular YouTube blogger Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), Sarah Guo, founder of Conviction, and others.
A few days after the end of Collision 2023, we gathered all our notes on current technological trends that we took during the event to share with the world. Altogether, we chose 10 directions that are of interest to everyone in the tech industry today.
The leitmotif of Collision 2023 was predictably technologies that are in any way related to generative AI. This was, for instance, the focus of a large part of the interview with Adam Selipsky, conducted by Wired's Editor in Chief Steven Levy. Has Amazon caught the new gold rush? Of course!
A game-changer in the development of generative AI was the launch of ChatGPT. OpenAI succeeded in creating an efficient chat format model that even made developers worry about their jobs. But the conference once again proved that such technologies simplify work rather than generate unemployment.
Silicon Valley in the US or the Toronto-Kitchener-Waterloo triangle in Canada gather the best specialists in the tech industry and the most interesting ideas, attracting investors. However, this does not mean that all the attention of the world's largest IT companies is only for them.
For example, during his presentation at the Collision 2023 conference, Adam Selipsky, CEO at AWS, specifically mentioned that over the next few years, Amazon plans to invest several tens of billions of dollars in creating new opportunities for technical specialists in the Alberta province in Canada.
Collision 2023 was another event that raised the issue of ease and openness of work for women in the tech industry. This sector was initially considered typically male, but the situation is gradually changing. According to Statistics Canada, in recent years, the proportion of women in IT stands at 20%.
At Collision 2023, there was a separate Women in Tech lounge where a variety of topics were discussed. Participants shared their thoughts, experiences, and insights. The issues of equality in job hunting and the actual working process were discussed. Maternity was also discussed.
Today, any business can be digitized regardless of the industry in which it operates. This was vividly demonstrated by dozens and even hundreds of startups that participated in Collision 2023. Entire countries, representatives of which were also at the conference, are also engaged in a similar process today.
The most vivid example of digital transformation at the conference was the experience of Ukraine, which has greatly simplified the interaction of its residents with various state institutions. For several years inside the country, instead of a regular passport, you can use its digital version on your smartphone.
A key trend of recent times remains ecology. Protecting the environment continues to play a very important role, especially noticeable after a series of forest fires that swept through Canada. However, today there are enough various environmental problems not only in North America.
At Collision 2023, we were once again shown the first Canadian zero-emission electric car, Project Arrow. While it is only a prototype, it already draws public attention to environmental issues. We hope that it will soon appear on the roads of Canada and other countries around the world.
After the presentation of Apple Vision Pro, tech industry participants started talking about virtual and augmented reality again. During his presentation at the Centre Stage of the Collision 2023 conference, YouTube blogger Marques Brownlee also paid special attention to the new device, which he really liked.
Every application that involves social interaction is becoming a separate metaverse today. This was emphasized by Ba Blackstock, Co-founder of Bitmoji. He noted that the logic of such software needs to start with the user's perspective.
Most significant software and hardware products today are not created in one specific city, one particular region, or within the borders of a single country. In the modern world, this simply doesn't make sense, as it is much more advisable to take full advantage of globalisation.
This also applies to the search for new employees for your company. It is now crucial to use tech talents from different corners of the world. There are many ways to find them from anywhere on the planet, and one of them is the company VanHack, which connects IT workers with employers.
Cybersecurity remains a critical issue today and was once again at the center of attention against the explosive development of generative AI. This was repeatedly emphasized during their speeches on the Centre Stage of the Collision 2023 conference by AWS CEO Adam Selipsky and other speakers.
The solution could be the decentralization of data storage according to Web 3.0 principles, which is also actively discussed today. Moreover, Jeff Shiner, CEO of 1Password, who also participated in the conference, reminded everyone present that security begins with a reliable password.
Startups, which are widely represented at the event, traditionally remain a large part of Collision. In 2023, they were divided into several categories according to the stages of development they are currently in: Alpha, Beta, and Growth. We managed to talk with many of them.
Some of the startups are trying to solve the parking problem in Toronto, others are engaged in hardware for fast-growing vegetables and fruits, and some focus on fast delivery of medicines to various cities in Canada and other countries. The variety is impressive.
Education deserves special attention today. The necessity for its total transformation became especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic that engulfed the world a few years ago. Many educational institutions were not ready for remote learning for students.
An integral part of modern education is total digitization. It involves the creation of Learning Management Systems (LMS) for posting various types of text, visual, and audio materials. They are important not only within the school or university but also in the ongoing regular acquisition of new knowledge.
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