The future holds exciting technological advancements that promise to shape the way we live and interact with the world. The editorial team at MIT Technology Review is constantly on the lookout for promising technologies that could play a significant role in our future. At the beginning of each year, the US edition highlights specific approaches with great potential, which they believe will soon experience a breakthrough.
Breakthroughs can be interpreted in various ways. It could be a scientific advancement that makes a new technology possible, a company receiving approval for an important medical treatment, a consumer device reaching a pivotal point in its adoption, or an industrial technology successfully completing a critical pilot phase. These advancements can span different areas, and it’s always fascinating to see which technologies the editors see the most potential in.
However, some candidates inevitably don’t make the cut. Nonetheless, it’s worth keeping an eye on them, and we certainly will. Here are some of the technologies to watch:
Virtual Power Plants
Virtual power plants are energy systems that integrate various technologies to both generate and store electricity. They allow energy providers to connect solar panels and wind turbines with grid batteries and electric vehicles, improving the management of electricity flow in the grid.
During peak electricity demand times, software linked to smart meters could automatically decide to supply power to a customer’s home by drawing electricity from a fully charged electric vehicle in a neighbor’s garage, thus reducing demand on the grid. The software could also calculate how to compensate the electric vehicle owner for this.
In the US, there are currently an estimated 500 virtual power plants with a capacity of up to 60 gigawatts. Similar systems are operational in China, Japan, Croatia, and Taiwan. However, many more virtual power plants need to be configured before their benefits can impact the entire grid.
Useful AI Agents
AI agents are currently experiencing a peak in development. These AI-powered helpers are designed to plan our schedules, book our trips, and perform various online tasks on our behalf. They use generative models to learn how to navigate websites and desktop software, managing our passwords and credit card information. They might even interact and coordinate with other people’s agents.
Significant development is underway. Salesforce recently launched a platform for companies to create their own customer service agents, and the Claude model by Anthropic is gaining the ability to navigate a computer with a mouse and keyboard, just like humans.
However, a major challenge remains in enabling these agents to understand what you mean when making requests and to perform the required actions reliably. Given the significant hurdles, it will likely take some time before they become truly useful. AI agents may be coming, but not just yet.
Flying Taxis
The acronym eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) is more commonly known as “flying taxis” in the German-speaking world. They can be thought of as electric helicopters. Most versions under development are not intended as private vehicles but are piloted to transport commuters from suburbs or visitors from airports to city centers. One day, these flying taxis could fly autonomously, according to industry promises.
There has been real progress in the introduction of flying taxis. Earlier this year, the manufacturer eHang received the first Chinese certificate for mass production of these vehicles and began accepting orders. South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have taken steps to enable the operation of flying taxis. In the US, Archer recently received FAA certification to begin commercial operations. In October, the FAA finalized rules for pilot training and operation of flying taxis, the first time in decades that the agency has approved such rules for a new aircraft category. However, the startup Lilium, which initially showed promise, filed for bankruptcy in October.
Interest and momentum have increased in recent years. Major aviation companies, including Boeing and Airbus, have invested in startups or funded internal research and development projects to develop these futuristic aircraft. However, no eVTOL company has yet commenced commercial operations, which we will continue to monitor.