7 Techno-Spiritual trends of 2021

7 Techno-Spiritual trends of 2021

1. Data becomes the program (The analytic divide)

As organizations try to extrude inferences from data, a new pattern is emerging. Data consumers are stretching their needs to demand more and more insights from data. Data scientists are not only under pressure to tell stories using visualization; every department is asking for a different story. Now the data guys have to package the data with a relevant rendering analytic program and get the chapter ready. Say the HR department has 12 people. All of them are asking different stories. So more of these story containers have to be built by data engineers. This leads to divisions in the way in which these story containers are built. An analytic divide. Hopefully, a standard will emerge for all this and users will get most of their questions answered simply.

2. More AI to move to the edge

Companies are moving to a multi-cloud architecture. Some are also ramping up their on-prem deployments. Clouds are getting more and more powerful. However, the limitation that we are facing is the size of the data pipeline to the cloud. Rather than sending raw data to the cloud, algorithms that can transform the data at the edge devices are becoming popular. These algorithms can range from a Laplace transformation to a full-fledged convolutional neural network. The more powerful the edge hardware, the more data crunching can be done. So much so that some of the data from the edge does not even have to travel to the cloud. Depending on where your data is processed, your analytics now will also be available at the edge.

3. Nirvanic Multitasking to be the norm

With the advent of 5G, the data speeds have shot up to 10 Gbps. Now, that is the speed at which we can do multiple tasks. Movie download times will be in just seconds. And while that is being downloaded you may be playing a game simultaneously and communicating with a program on the cloud. The days of buffering are over. Now the intelligence that you have embedded in your programs will have a chance to execute faster, which in the past was dependent on the data firehose to that program. All cloud programs will accelerate, and those on the edge will co-exist with their network counterparts. The story of speeds does not end with 5G. Two years ahead, 6G will still further accelerate our pipelines. In short nirvanic multitasking is now around the corner.

4. Regulation of Social Media

In the coming days, we will see more and more regulations of content by companies and the government. Hate speeches, violent videos, revenge films, etc. need to be taken down before it gets seen by the audience. There is a need for censorship over the board. We all know that social media influences us all, especially our children. All kinds of cults and other groups that promulgate their teachings which can be deemed harmful, need to be taken down. Now, this is a huge task. Companies like Facebook and Google are trying to enforce discipline using AI. But the efficacy is about 90%. Still, we need humans to do tasks. If you believe that data should not be censored, then ask yourself this: Is safety more important than freedom?

5. Culture to embrace remote work

As we have seen with the pandemic most of the people are working from home and some are even being more productive. COVID has redefined the way we work. A good part of our work hours is being spent working from home. This trend will be embraced by most of the companies and in the future, we will see that a solid chunk of our work time includes work from home. As is always the case, there are both pros and cons to this arrangement. There can be things like screen fatigue, lack of social cues, etc., but people working from home have been found to be more receptive to work and happier. No more irrelevant meetings and no more bitching around the cooler. Automation has stepped in to make our work more meaningful.  

6. A growth mindset and adaptability

One of the most wanted skills that companies will be seeking out will be a growth mindset and adaptability. A growth mindset simply aligns one to a more prosperous life, because every day there is growth in one or more areas. Such individuals are far happier than their counterparts. Research has shown time and again that happier individuals work better. The quality of their tasks speaks for itself. Those who embrace growth are willing to weather the storm if there is one, which leads us to adaptability. In today’s hypercompetitive work environments, a person needs to adjust to the fluctuations of business. Those who adapt, flourish. And those who don’t, they perish. It’s a Darwinian world after all.

7. Holistic Well-Being

An individual is complete when he/she conquers the four aspects of their lives, namely: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Some people think that doing a 1-hour meditation routine in the morning is enough for overall progress. Nothing could be farther from the truth. All these 4 areas of our lives are intertwined with our personal and professional lives. There is no distinction. There is no such thing as a work/life balance. You have to act mindfully till you doze off to a high theta or deep sleep. Align your body, thoughts, emotions, and energy in one direction. If you find yourself drifting away, gently bring yourself back. Many companies today have dozing rooms where you can take a quick nap. It’s not the hours that you spend, but the throughput that matters. And organizations are waking up to this fact, slowly but surely.

Wish you all a happy and prosperous 2021.