The Major Tech Themes To Look Out For At MWC 2024

This year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona will be held from February 26 to 29. At this event, scores of players in the global tech scene, big and small, will be gathering together at the Fira Gran Via to chart the course of progress for the not-too-distant future.

To say that there are a lot of major talking points in the overall tech industry right now would be a major understatement; from the Internet of Things to artificial intelligence, 5G to smart factories, there are a myriad of angles to cover and explore. If you find the sheer breadth of it all to be overwhelming, don't worry, the event-runners have thought of that. For convenience's sake, all of the events and conferences held at MWC Barcelona have been sorted into six themed categories in order to give those interested a better idea of what to expect. So, what are these themes, and what will be covered?

The theme of 5G and Beyond seeks to explore what exactly we can do with this improved framework, as well as what might come next. Topics of discussion include strengthening the connection further with end-to-end AI integration, new communication formats afforded by improved connectivity like holograms and gesture recognition, and the burgeoning seeds of a 6G future. This technology is evolving fast and there's reason to be excited, though there will also be discussions on the importance of patience and study to get the best possible result on our technological investment.

The theme of Connecting Everything, similarly, is finding new ways to broaden the existing network of interconnected devices, and by extension, people. IoT-powered appliances have served as a good starting point, but to truly connect the world, the planet's networking superpowers, including satellite, fiber optic, and more need to band together and find a common connection. By making faster, more adaptable connections, it will foster an even greater environment of innovation.

The theme of Humanizing AI is the pursuit of actual, intelligent computing, rather than the mere generative AI algorithms that have become a hot topic. AI can create images and text with enough raw data input, but we've yet to reach the point where you can have a real branching conversation with your computer. By exploring this path of development, we may one day arrive at robust user interfaces that can tailor themselves on the fly based on a user's wants and needs.

Meanwhile, the theme of Manufacturing DX is how we can take our newly evolving technologies and put them to work for us in practical capacities. Automation has seen usage in large warehouses and fulfillment centers, but the ultimate goal is to foster the creation of technology that can improve efficiency and cut costs in manufacturing and warehouses, not to mention do so in a more economically sustainable way.

The theme of Game Changers revolves around the tech of the future that's being seeded today. It's impossible to completely chart the path of technological evolution because you never know what the future will bring, but if we work forward from technology that's in a young state right now, we may be able to formulate plausible theories. From the precise shape and form of the personal interface devices of tomorrow to the scientific marvel of quantum computing, there's no dream too big to dream up for the world of the future.

Rounding out things is the theme of Our Digital DNA, which is perhaps the most important one of all: the human element. Technology is meant to serve and enrich humanity, but there are still problems in the global tech scene. Many sectors are undershooting environmental sustainability goals and failing to foster futuristic innovators from all walks of life. Technological advancement cannot come at the cost of many and the enrichment of the privileged few, which is why the human element must always be considered.