Take a moment to look back at 2024 with The Hindu’s Technology desk
| Photo Credit: REUTERS
No year can be uneventful for technology, but 2024 was a year of milestones for tech and gadget users around the world, as well as those living in India.
Artificial intelligence, and in particular, Generative AI, is no longer an experimental play thing, but was rapidly integrated into business offerings, professional tools, social media platforms, and communication channels so that even the most casual tech user was exposed to it.
Many experts believed that headsets and metaverses would shape 2024, yet customers going through a cost-of-living crisis showed far more interest in accessible AI models coming from competing giants such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google as well as free and open-source (FOSS) software makers.
However, the advance of AI tools and their increasing accessibility also means a diverse range of online and offline crimes and ethical concerns that regulators and police forces worldwide must prepare to tackle.
Tech layoffs continued this year, with some of the largest companies in the Big Tech economy shedding hundreds of workers as they tried to return to a pre-pandemic norm and cut their costs, raising questions about the replaceability of human employees in a world of evolving AI tools. On the other hand, antitrust regulators such as the U.S. FTC and India’s CCI are cracking down on internet giants like Google, questioning whether their dominance comes at the cost of a healthy market.
The crypto market started 2024 on a solid but unexciting note, with Bitcoin prices clocking in at below $50,000. However, the top coin went on to mark new highs both in spring and fall. As Donald Trump was elected the U.S. president once more, investors’ euphoria drove Bitcoin’s price beyond the eagerly-anticipated $100,000-mark.
Coming to gadgets, Apple and Google both enjoyed glittering launch events this year. The Apple iPhone 16 series and the Google Pixel 9 line-up were both stuffed with Gen AI features meant to enhance every function, ranging from writing emails and clicking photos to coding and translating in real-time. Meanwhile, rejoicing Indians finally got their first foldable from Google: the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The mid-segment and entry-level gadgets markets also flourished, due to ambitious Chinese device-makers who seek to tap the pulse of India’s price-sensitive market.
As another thrilling year in tech comes to a close, take a moment to look back at 2024 with the Technology Desk’s annual roundups.
Published – December 20, 2024 08:18 am IST
