Their inaugural post offered a glimpse into the ceremonial and international fabric of their royal duties, showcasing images from a medical award ceremony, a bonsai exhibition, and diplomatic pleasantries with Kenya’s President and First Lady. A subsequent post revealed interactions with Brunei’s Crown Prince and Princess.

A particularly notable video captures the celebrations of Emperor Naruhito’s 64th birthday. Rather than an intimate family gathering, the footage reveals throngs of people brandishing the Hinomaru, Japan’s national flag, in a grand display of allegiance outside the Imperial Palace, while Emperor Naruhito saluted from the balcony.

The digital debut was robust, with the Imperial Household sharing approximately 19 images on the first day, including those of Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and Princess Aiko. The account swiftly amassed over 320,000 followers, marking a successful entry into the social media landscape.

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In Poznan, 325 kilometres (200 miles) east of Warsaw, a team of tech researchers, engineers and child caregivers are working on a small revolution. Their joint project, “Insension,” uses facial recognition powered by artificial intelligence to help children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities interact with others and with their surroundings, becoming more connected with the world. It is a testament to the power of this quickly advancing technology.

Thousands of kilometres away, in the streets of Beijing, AI-powered facial recognition is used by government officials to track citizens’ daily movements and keep the entire population under close surveillance. It is the same technology, but the result is fundamentally different. These two examples encapsulate the broader AI challenge: the underlying technology is neither good nor bad in itself; everything depends on how it is used.

AI’s essentially dual nature informed how we chose to design the European Artificial Intelligence Act, a regulation focused on the uses of AI, rather than on the technology itself. Our approach boils down to a simple principle: the riskier the AI, the stronger the obligations for those who develop it. AI already enables numerous harmless functions that we perform every day – from unlocking our phones to recommending songs based on our preferences. We simply do not need to regulate all these uses. But AI also increasingly plays a role at decisive moments in life. When a bank screens someone to determine if they qualify for a mortgage, it isn’t just about a loan; it is about putting a roof over their head and allowing them to build wealth and pursue financial security. The same is true when employers use emotion-recognition software as an add-on to their recruitment process, or when AI is used to detect illnesses in brain images. The latter is not just a routine medical check; it is literally a matter of life or death.

In these kinds of cases, the new regulation imposes significant obligations on AI developers. They must comply with a range of requirements – from running risk assessments to ensuring technical robustness, human oversight, and cybersecurity – before releasing their systems on the market. Moreover, the AI Act bans all uses that clearly go against our most fundamental values. For example, AI may not be used for “social scoring” or subliminal techniques to manipulate vulnerable populations, such as children.

AI’s Essentially Dual Nature Informed How We Chose to Design the European Artificial Intelligence Act, a Regulation Focused on the Uses of AI, Rather Than on the Technology Itself: The Riskier The AI, the Stronger the Obligations for Those Who Develop It

Though some will argue that this high-level control deters innovation, in Europe we see it differently. For starters, time-blind rules provide the certainty and confidence that tech innovators need to develop new products. But more to the point, AI will not reach its immense positive potential unless end-users trust it. Here, even more than in many other fields, trust serves as an engine of innovation. As regulators, we can create the conditions for the technology to flourish by upholding our duty to ensure safety and public trust.

Far from challenging Europe’s riskbased approach, the recent boom of general-purpose AI (GPAI) models like ChatGPT has only made it more relevant. While these tools help scammers around the world produce alarmingly credible phishing emails, the same models could also be used to detect AI-generated content. In the space of just a few months, GPAI models have taken the technology to a new level in terms of the opportunities it offers, and the risks it has introduced.

Of course, one of the most daunting risks is that we may not always be able to distinguish what is fake from what is real. GPAI-generated “deepfakes” are already causing scandals and hitting the headlines. In late January, fake pornographic images of global pop icon Taylor Swift reached 47 million views on X (formerly Twitter) before the platform finally suspended the user who shared them.

It is not hard to imagine the damage that such content can do to an individual’s mental health. But if applied on an even broader scale, such as in the context of an election, it could threaten entire populations. The AI Act offers a straightforward response to this problem. AI-generated content will have to be labeled as such, so that everyone knows immediately that it is not real. That means providers will have to design systems in a way that synthetic audio, video, text, and images are marked in a machine-readable format, and detectable as artificially generated or manipulated.

Companies will be given a chance to bring their systems into compliance with the regulation. If they fail to comply, they will be fined. Fines would range from €35 million ($37 million) or 7% of global annual turnover (whichever is higher) for violations of banned AI applications; €15 million or 3% for violations of other obligations; and €7.5 million or 1.5% for supplying incorrect information. But fines are not all. Noncompliant AI systems will also be prohibited from appearing on the EU market.

Europe is the first mover on AI regulation, but our efforts are already helping to mobilise responses elsewhere. As many other countries start to embrace similar frameworks – including the United States, which is collaborating with Europe on “a risk-based approach to AI to advance trustworthy and responsible AI technologies” – we feel confident that our overall approach is the right one. Just a few months ago, it inspired G7 leaders to agree on a first-of-its-kind Code of Conduct on Artificial Intelligence. These kinds of international guardrails will help keep users safe until legal obligations start kicking in.

AI is neither good nor bad, but it will usher in a global era of complexity and ambiguity. In Europe, we have designed a regulation that reflects this. Probably more than any other piece of EU legislation, this one required a careful balancing act – between power and responsibility, between innovation and trust, and between freedom and safety.

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Machine intelligence, the blurring of the boundaries between the real and the virtual, and shaping the ongoing evolution of the internet will all radically impact our lives. But perhaps most important of all will be the search for ways to continue to grow and prosper while minimising the damage we do to the environment – and perhaps even reversing some of the damage that’s been done in the past.

So here’s the overview of these game-changing trends, along with predictions for how each of them will impact life, society and the planet.

Generative AI – Everyday Automation

Last year was the year that generative AI burst into the mainstream, while 2024 is the year that the world gets to grips with how truly powerful and useful it can be. Today, if you’re not a techie, just the phrase artificial intelligence (AI) can cause a shiver of fear – if you’re not worried about it taking over the world or destroying the human race, you might be nervously waiting for it to steal your job and make you redundant.

But as generative AI finds its way into more of the applications we use every day, from search engines to office software, design packages and communications tools, people will come to understand its potential. Used properly, it’s like having a super-smart personal assistant on hand 24/7, making us more efficient, faster and more productive.

The Genie is Out Of the Bottle, and While There are Undeniable Challenges Around Ethics and Regulation That Still Have to be Solved, 2024 Will Be the Year When Everyone Starts to Understand Just How Transformative Generative AI Will be to Our Lives

Most importantly, by handing over our everyday menial brainwork – obtaining information, scheduling, managing compliance, organising ideas, structuring projects – to AI, we will find ourselves with more time to leverage our truly human skills. We will spend more time being creative, exploring new ideas and original thinking, or communicating with humans rather than programming machines. The genie is out of the bottle, and while there are undeniable challenges around ethics and regulation that still have to be solved, I believe 2024 will be the year when everyone starts to understand just how transformative generative AI will be to our lives.

Phygital Convergence

The real and the digital are becoming increasingly intertwined. Technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and the immersive internet are breaking down barriers between the physical world and the digital domains where we are spending more and more of our time. More so than ever before, we exist as digital avatars within virtual environments.

This is true for work, where we collaborate remotely through platforms like Zoom, Teams and Slack, and play, where online gaming and e-sports are more popular than ever. We use social apps like TikTok and Instagram to create virtual spaces where we share moments from our “real” lives – curated and filtered to create digital personalities that become our virtual selves.

Across industries, we see this concept emerging in the form of the digital twin – a virtual representation of a real-world object, system or process. This could be as simple as an individual component or as complex as an entire city or even an ecosystem. Importantly, the digital twin is built from data captured from its real- world counterpart. Advances in the science of genomics mean we can break down the fundamental essence of life into digital code, which can then be manipulated and rebuilt in the real world in order to engineer new medicines and eradicate diseases.

In 2024, we will continue to see less and less distinction between the real world and the virtual world. This means the digital is becoming increasingly realistic, and the real is becoming as flexible and malleable as the digital.

Sustainable Technology

Sustainable technology will continue to take centre stage during 2024, as countries and corporations continue to work on meeting net-zero commitments. At the same time, individuals will increasingly leverage technology in order to minimise their personal impact on the environment.

Sustainable technology includes more environmentally-friendly ways of doing things we already do – such as the electric cars, bikes and public transport that continue to increase their market share in 2024. It also includes novel solutions to environmental problems, such as carbon capture and storage, as well as green and renewable energy technologies. The circular economy will become an increasingly important concept as durability, recyclability and reusability are built directly into products at the design stage. And the tech world will further embrace ideas such as green cloud computing, where infrastructure and services prioritise the reduction of energy consumption and carbon emissions and sustainable apps – software tools designed to help us live in a more eco-friendly manner.

Advances in the Science of Genomics Mean We Can Break Down the Fundamental Essence of Life Into Digital Code, Which Can Then Be Manipulated and Rebuilt in the Real World in Order To Engineer New Medicines and Eradicate Diseases

Challenges that developers and users of sustainable technology must face during 2024 include a need to develop ethical and sustainable methods for sourcing and extracting materials needed for manufacturing devices, infrastructure demands created by changing consumer habits, such as the adoption of electric vehicles, and potential disparities between different geographic or socio-economic groups in their ability to access green alternatives. We are also becoming increasingly alert to the presence of greenwashing – superficial efforts intended purely to generate positive PR around a particular technology.

Quantum Computing

There’s been a growing buzz around quantum computing for a while now, and I believe 2024 will mark the year when this is set to transition to tangible benefits. Quantum computers are capable of carrying out vast numbers of calculations simultaneously by harnessing weird and wonderful elements of quantum physics, such as quantum entanglement and superposition. This enables them to operate using quantum bits (qubits) that can exist in multiple states simultaneously, rather than a state of either 1 or 0, like traditional computer bits.

Early investors in quantum technology include banks and financial services organizations that hope to be able to enhance the power of AI systems developed in recent years for purposes of fraud detection, risk management and high-frequency trading.

Quantum computing doesn’t speed up every job we use computers for, but in 2024, we’re starting umest to see benefits as it’s applied across various compute-heavy fields, including medical discovery, genome sequencing, cryptography, meteorology, material science, optimisation of complex systems like traffic flows through large cities, and even the search for extraterrestrial life.

These are all fields that hold enormous potential for solving challenges facing us and our planet, and we will find out what breakthroughs will be achieved with the help of quantum computing in the near future.

CYBER RESILIENCE

Research suggests that one in two businesses has been the victim of a successful cyberattack in the past three years, and the cost of these attacks to industry is expected to grow to over $10 trillion by the end of 2024. In the face of this fast-growing threat, technology solutions designed to bolster defences and provide us with a fighting chance are high on every organisation’s must-have list.
Cyber resilience goes beyond cyber security, though, as it also encapsulates measures that can be taken to recover and ensure continuity when defences are breached or due to circumstances beyond our control. This might mean having remote working procedures in place to ensure businesses can function when staff can’t get to central locations – a technology solution that might not traditionally be considered an element of cyber security.
Automation of cyber defence through AI and machine learning, integrated frameworks that merge security measures with continuity protocols and awareness of societal factors from social engineering attacks to PR firefighting are all essential elements of any cyber resilience strategy.
Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, and competition to bring new solutions leveraging breakthrough technologies like AI to market is intensifying. This ensures that cyber resilience will become an increasingly prominent trend throughout 2024 across business and consumer technology.

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A s the crypto winter thaws, and financial institutions renew their interest in digital assets, an old debate has re-emerged over whether blockchain is truly a “trust machine,” as The Economist described it in 2015.

A figure from fifteenth-century Venice can help answer that question. Though he was neither a technologist nor a banker, the friar Luca Pacioli is remembered today for developing the double-entry bookkeeping accounting system that underpins much of the modern economy. It was his ingenious model that introduced debits and credits to the method of recording transactions in two separate accounts.

This seemingly boring and cumbersome tweak to a core business function didn’t just ensure accuracy and curb fraud; it also gave owners new insights into how to run and improve their businesses and cut costs. Under Pacioli’s system, efficiencies soared, commerce accelerated, and the Renaissance took flight. Double-entry accounting became a cornerstone of economic activity because it was simple, easily shared, and undeniably useful. Centuries later, financial statements based on Pacioli’s work became mandatory for any business. Such is the power of a basic infrastructure upgrade.

The broader lesson is that an innovation that makes it from conception to global adoption typically passes three tests of public trust: Does it work? Is it useful? Is it safe? Or put another way, users expect competence, value, and reliability.

The underlying blockchain technology that Bitcoin’s creator( s) deployed builds elegantly on the foundation that Pacioli laid. Imagine if a fifteenth-century Florentine merchant’s ledger entry showed up instantly on the books of every other merchant. Such a distributed ledger creates triple-entry (or effectively infinite-entry) accounting, making the data immutable and incontestable.

That functionality alone is transformative, but the architecture of blockchain networks gives them superpowers well beyond financial applications. After settling literally trillions of transactions, blockchain’s fundamental claim to facilitate the reliable exchange of value has been well verified. Though it is little solace to those who lost funds during the industry’s implosions in recent years, those episodes reflected irrational exuberance and old-fashioned fraud, not any flaws of distributed-ledger protocols.

These failures were as predictable as they were regrettable. Excitement about emerging technologies typically outpaces their utility, leaving a wake of disappointments. Even the most promising technologies struggle with early design flaws. AI chatbots can hallucinate. Electric-vehicle batteries can fail in extreme cold or heat. New software is often buggy. And blockchain networks have not been fully immune to hacks and performance issues. But their battle-tested durability makes them well positioned to upgrade the way we move money.

What about usefulness? Fortunately, responsible market players today are using blockchain to do many other things: delivering mobile, corruption-resistant humanitarian aid to refugees; lowering the costs of charitable giving, remittances, and cross-border payments by 80%; expanding access to basic financial services; giving workers in high-inflation countries a portable store of value; establishing provenance to power the “creator economy”; transmitting money at scale with the ease, security, and speed with which the internet transmits data; and upgrading legacy financial rails that date back to the 1970s.

While still nascent, these applications undeniably deliver high social and economic value. That brings us to the third question: whether blockchain-based financial rails are safe – which, in financial services, means regulated. Can users expect common, high standards around the world? Not quite yet, but we’re getting close.

The good news is that 2024 is poised to bring greater regulatory certainty. Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the European Union have all established strong standards and consumer protections for this growing ecosystem. And the US Congress could follow suit this year with bipartisan digital-asset and stablecoin legislation that would crack down on illicit financing and counterfeit digital currencies. That would make a material difference in public confidence.

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 The innovation hub of CDT will enable services intended for the IT industry and IT/Tech startups, such as access to innovation and connection with traditional industries, organization of events, hackathons, training and education, project support and coworking space, a common space for collaboration.

Predrag Nikolić, director of the Center for Digital Transformation (CDT) of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, recalled that at the beginning of CDT’s work, six years ago, the goal was to provide support for the digital transformation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Serbia, and stated that during that period more than 4,500 clients passed through the Center.

 “In the meantime, a new goal has been imposed, which is to create a stronger channel of communication between the traditional economy and the scientific and technological part of the economy. The space of the Innovation Hub (CDT HUB) will serve startups and all technological companies that have or are looking for a way to a new idea, but also partner in working out all your ideas,” said Nikolić.

 In order to survive nowadays, companies have to think about how they will implement technology and science in their business system.

 “We will work on concrete mergers and solutions, and the idea is that CDT HUB becomes attractive for different funds that will look for their next investment here,” concluded Nikolić.

Photo: twitter/CDTHUB

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The Embassy of Denmark to Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Serbia jointly organised a specialised invitation- only conference entitled “Digitalisation of Healthcare – Inspired by Denmark’s E-Health Journey”, which took place at Belgrade’s Palace of Serbia in late November.

Denmark has for years been an international front-runner in the area of digitalisation of the public administration, as well as healthcare. E-health’s great expansion in Denmark is based on public-private cooperation between the government, regions, municipalities and industry stakeholders. This collaboration drives innovation and implementation, resulting in citizens receiving more efficient healthcare. The Embassy of Denmark and the Government of the Republic of Serbia recognise the strong potential for increased bilateral cooperation in the area of E-Health.

The embassy of Denmark and the government of the Republic of Serbia recognise the strong potential for increased bilateral cooperation in the area of e-health

With the aim of exchanging knowledge and experience in this area, the conference brought together top experts of institutions and private companies from both countries.

The opening ceremony saw guests addressed by Danish Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Susanne Shine and State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Health, Professor Ferenc Vicko. Participants had an opportunity to hear the experiences of Danish public-private partnership “Healthcare Denmark” in Serbia for the first time, but also market leaders OpenTele- Health, NETS, Falck and Novo Nordisk, which are among the Danish companies spearheading the digitalisation of healthcare.

Conference attendees also heard from Serbian experts in the field, including Đuro Radović, Assistant Minister of Health responsible for the Sector for Digitalisation, and Dejana Ranković, member of the Serbian Government’s Expert Team for Healthcare Digitalisation.

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With World Bank support, the “Enabling Digital Governance” (EDGE) project was launched in 2019 with the task of fully digitalising the public administration and offering more efficient services to citizens and businesses through the construction of a more transparent and modern system adapted to the requirements of the digital age.

The EDGE project aims to improve access to, and the quality and efficiency of, selected public services. The project encompasses all steps in the digitalisation process, through three key components: laying the foundations for the delivery of digital services; tailoring digital services to citizens; developing digital skills.

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE DELIVERY OF DIGITAL SERVICES

The basis for the successful digitalisation of public administration services is represented by developed and adaptable digital infrastructure. That’s why a platform for interoperability is being developed and financed in the scope of the project, as an integrated tool for securely exchanging data between state bodies. With the development of this platform, state bodies will be able to exchange required data and electronic documentation when providing services to citizens and businesses.

EDGE has a key role to play in consolidating key public registries and creating a unique meta-registry that improves efficiency and simplifies access to data. This process not only lessens the burden placed on the administration, but rather also enables the harmonisation of data from various registers. Through the consolidation of key registries, such as registers that are under the jurisdiction of various institutions and ministries, including taxes, customs, the population register, cadastral register and the like, an all-encompassing platform will be created that eases access to information in an integrated way. This process is expected to result in a Meta- Registry harmonised with the central IoP, thereby achieving the synchronisation of key registries in accordance with the highest standards. The establishing of this meta-registry will achieve better coordination and data sharing between different sectors and state bodies.

One of the key roles in the digitalisation process is also played by data management and data protection, which is why the project also encompasses support for the work of the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, which includes the procurement of hardware and software and connectivity systems. This serves to improve the general state of readiness of the Republic of Serbia to respond at the national level to risks in the digital environment.

Securing the privacy of data in the digital environment is an aspect that implies the responsible and ethical handling of personal information. It is essential in this process for state bodies to protect the rights of individuals and enable the realising of the benefits of this technology without compromising on data privacy. With this need in mind, the project also envisages the financing of activities related to the drafting of by-laws on eGovernment and regulations governing cybersecurity.

We will see the digitalisation of more than 30 new services for citizens in the period ahead

This project has already provided for the setting up of a new network of state bodies, which ensures the high availability of data and the optimal utilisation of network resources; a network operations centre (NOC) that provides the possibility to orchestrate network resources; a security operations centre (SOC), with functions that manage high-risk online transactions; and a computer emergency response team (CERT) with procedures and tools for handling online emergencies. In a very short period, through these activities, conditions have been secured to provide for the sustainability of network functions that are essential to the daily work of state bodies. The project’s support to advance critical infrastructure is continuing through the establishment of a cybersecurity laboratory and a training centre, with further investments in systemic solutions for maintaining information security and cloud environments.

DIGITAL SERVICES TAILORED TO CITIZENS

The project’s second component relates to the advancing of background processes to reduce administrative burdens and increase the efficiency of service delivery, which is conducted through the reengineering, digitalisation and piloting of selected eServices.

The project provided for the compiling of a comprehensive catalogue of administrative services intended for citizens. In the process of drafting the catalogue, over 2,000 administrative processes were identified on the basis of citizens’ requests and methodology was established for the classification and qualification of administrative processes for reengineering and digitalisation.

In the phase of reengineering administrative processes, over 150 services were identified and prioritised for further automation and the elimination of superfluous procedures. The project envisages the digitalisation of the largest number of these services, as well as the improvement of the most frequent services that are already in use. We will see the digitalisation of more than 30 new services for citizens in the period ahead.

DEVELOPING DIGITAL SKILLS

Through constant advanced training and support for the development of the digital skills of employees, the public sector becomes more agile and adaptable, and better able to respond to changes in the digital environment, thereby further improving the efficiency and quality of the provision of services to citizens. Within the framework of the EDGE project, training courses are conducted at the National Academy of Public Administration. More than 8,000 civil servants have to date undergone mandatory training in electronic office operations, while further training programmes are currently in the process of being accredited for 2024. The project is striving for all future training to be conducted 100% online, with the aim of maximising the response of participants and eliminating the logistical costs of attending training centres.

A key role in the further development of eGovernment and the services it provides is played by feedback received from citizens and businesses. One of the project’s primary goals is to establish an active mechanism to engage citizens in assessing their experience of services provided.

The views of citizens and business sector representatives will also be examined during the project, via specially created surveys of the public or focus groups, in order for the findings to be used to achieve the best possible project results.

The project also implies intensive external communication and a promotional campaign to be implemented during the first half of 2024.

The project is being implemented in cooperation with numerous domestic companies, which have for the first time received an opportunity to participate – together with the World Bank and the Office for IT and eGovernment – in building Serbia’s digital society.

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As expounded on its website, the app owes its capabilities to ChatGPT, an advanced AI framework. The platform extends an invitation for users to seek solace, guidance, and inspiration through these unique virtual interactions. These revelations came to light through a report by the Religion News Service.

The application’s design is elegantly straightforward. A simple click on any of the “Holy Family” icons promptly elicits a welcoming message: “Greetings, dear friend! I am Jesus Christ, your companion for today’s discourse, offering my guidance and boundless affection. How may I be of assistance to you?” It’s a glimpse into what the AI-powered Jesus might impart.

For a monthly subscription of £2.99, users are granted the privilege of conversing not only with Jesus himself but also with some of his disciples. Notably absent from this roster are Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, and Simon. Additionally, the app extends its scope to include venerable Old Testament figures such as Adam and Eve.

As with any novel technological venture, this application raises a host of intriguing questions, both profound and ethical. While some may find solace and enlightenment through these digital dialogues, concerns about the ethical implications and potential sensitivities of such interactions are also pertinent. Regardless, it is an undeniable manifestation of the ever-evolving intersection between technology and spirituality.

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Threads is expected to be released on Thursday and will allow users to retain followers from photo-sharing platform Instagram, and keep the same username, a listing on Apple’s App Store showed.

The rollout represents a direct challenge to Twitter, which has faced numerous controversies since Musk bought the company for $44 billion in 2022. Last week, the Tesla billionaire announced a slate of new restrictions on the app, limiting the number of tweets users could view per day, prompting outcry from many on the platform. While alternative microblogging sites – such as Mastodon and Blue Sky – have seen an uptick in user numbers since Musk’s acquisition, neither has been able to challenge Twitter. But Instagram already has hundreds of millions of registered users and has a history of introducing new features based on the success of other social media firms.

In 2016, it added a feature called “stories” to Instagram, or user posts that disappear after a fixed amount of time, in response to the rising popularity of Snapchat.

More recently, the company’s short-form video feature “Reels” has sought to challenge the rise of TikTok.

The launch of Threads represents a credible threat to Twitter under Musk.

“Threads is going to pose a huge threat to Twitter because it’s coming from the Meta and Instagram family of apps,” said Drew Benvie, CEO of social media consultancy Battenhall.

“Instagram has 2 billion users compared to around 250 million of Twitter, so it’s about ten times bigger already. If only one-in-ten Instagram users tries using Threads, it will overtake Twitter in the blink of an eye.”

After acquiring the company late last year, Musk laid off around 80% of staff and reinstated a number of banned accounts, such as those of former U.S. President Donald Trump and conservative satirical news site Babylon Bee.

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Overall, more women than men reported such usage of digital devices. This usage peaked for both sexes in the 30-44 age range (36% of employed women used digital devices for most or all of their working time, against 29% of men), then dropped for ages 45-59 (31% for women, 23% for men) and 60-74 (24% for women, 19% for men). 

Among the EU countries, the highest rates for people aged 15-74 were recorded in Luxembourg (47% of employed people), the Netherlands and Sweden (both 41%). Meanwhile, the lowest rates were recorded in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece (all 12%). 

In the EU as a whole, the proportion of employed people using digital devices during all or most of their working time increased with their level of education, regardless of sex. Among people with a low or medium level of education, women showed higher shares than men: 10% of women with low education spent all or most of their working time using digital devices, against 8% of men; 28% of women with medium education were in the same situation, against 16% of men. The trend reversed among people with a high level of education, where women recorded a share of 44%, while men 47%.

Source: ec.europa.eu

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Akey trend in this sector that is set to accelerate is digital-only banking accounts such as Monzo, Starling and Revolut. In the UK, 14 million adults already bank with digital only accounts, a three-fold increase since 2019 – and that number is expected to hit 23 million by 2027. Notably, 41% of digital-only banking account holders are Gen-Z adults, and nearly half of all digital-only accounts (47%) have just a £1,000 average balance.

So, what does this mean for traditional banks? Why are customers moving from an HSBC or Barclays current account to the Monzo app? The answer lies in personalisation. Challenger banks like Monzo have the agility and speed in innovation to meet customers’ needs in terms of their lifestyle choices. And even if this need constantly changes, new and emerging banks are better able to offer more that is hyper-personalised and highly appealing, such as attractive pricing and simple account opening for money transfers and day-to-day transactions. A key differentiator is their ability to provide very detailed, real-time bank balance and transfer notifications – something traditional banks cannot do as easily because of their existing core legacy systems. For many people, challenger banks offer a better customer experience and give them the products and services they need when they need them – and this is a key test for incumbent banks.

How can incumbent banks compete with digital banks?

Although fintech providers are naturally more nimble and perhaps less complex in nature, there are many areas where high street banks are still superior in the digital banking space. They have developed solid and secure digital channels and processes and unparalleled customer service support. For instance, with NatWest or HSBC, you can speak with a banking representative about your banking matters almost any time you need. Many of the digital-only banks offer online support only. High street banks also have the advantage of inherent trust which they can use to their advantage, as many customers have a legacy of confidence in their traditional banks.

Banks must embrace a shift in mindset to adopt a more customer-centric, technologydriven approach to deliver the hyper-personalised services that customers (especially younger customers) expect

While high-street banks have the right digital processes in place, it’s the end user customer experience that’s currently inadequate. Many of these banks aren’t agile enough to streamline digital processes like a fintech provider due to the complexity of their back-office legacy systems. To truly lead the way in digital banking and particularly make their offering attractive to Generation Z, these banks must strategically analyse what applications directly impact their customer and lift those out of the legacy core. By extracting this intelligence out of the back-office and moving it into a mid-office layer that sits closer to the digital channels for customers, banks can simplify complex operations and infrastructure and embrace intelligent technology to create the right service bundles for their customers. It will also allow them to understand how to leverage customer data to offer service-first models, just as the challenger banks do, and to stop looking at the legacy core system as a hindrance.

Ultimately, banks must embrace a shift in mindset to adopt a more customer-centric, technology-driven approach to deliver the hyper-personalised services that customers (especially younger customers) expect. If they don’t, their customers will continue to move to challenger banks and embrace their service-first approach to meeting their financial needs – leaving traditional banks behind.

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In 2022, 91% of people aged 16 to 74 in the EU had used the internet, 75% of whom had bought or ordered goods or services for private use. The proportion of e-shoppers grew from 55% in 2012 to 75% in 2022, an increase of 20 percentage points (pp).

The highest shares of internet users who bought or ordered goods or services over the internet in 2022 were recorded in the Netherlands (92%), Denmark (90%) and Ireland (89%). On the other hand, fewer than 50% shopped online in Bulgaria (49%).

Between 2012 and 2022, the growth was particularly significant in Estonia (+47 pp), Hungary (+43 pp), Czechia and Romania (+41 pp).

Clothes, shoes and accessories: most common online purchase

In 2022, the most common online purchases of goods were clothes (including sports clothing), shoes or accessories (ordered by 42% of internet users). Following wearables, the top five most common online purchases of physical goods were completed by deliveries from restaurants, fast-food chains and catering services (19%), cosmetics, beauty or wellness products (17%), furniture, home accessories or gardening products (16%), and printed books, magazines or newspapers and sports goods (excluding sports clothing) (both 14%).

Purchase of physical goods exceeds demand for services

The collaborative economy opened up a new way of exchanging goods and services through digital technologies. In 2022, among internet users in the EU, 21% used collaborative economy platforms to order or buy physical goods from other individuals, while 6% rented accommodation, 1% used a transport service and below 1% ordered household services via such platforms.

Individuals aged 25-34 years and 35-44 years had a higher-than-average propensity for buying goods from other private sellers in 2022 with a share of 29% of internet users each.

The importance of online platforms to book, for instance, rented accommodation was recently also observed via the experimental statistics on this topic, showing booking levels in 2022 that exceeded the pre-pandemic years, whereas tourism in more traditional types of accommo

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THE NEW GENERATION OF NETWORKS

Since the first mobile phone call was made in 1973, the mobile industry has seen breathtaking advances. On 1st December, 2018, South Korea became the world’s first 5G country. Ever since, mobile devices have changed our world by reshaping how we communicate, engage in business, and access information. Following this event, many countries started adopting 5G technology in 2020 and are set to increase data usage exponentially as more people get on board with all the benefits this technology has to offer.

To understand where we are today, due to the inevitable rise in wireless standards from 1G to 6G, it is useful to chart their unstoppable spread across the globe.

1G TECHNOLOGY (1979)

NTT introduced the first generation of mobile networks to Japan in 1979 and, by 1984, had expanded coverage throughout its home country. The first generation of mobile telecommunications technology, which went into operation in 1983, made it possible for users to make and receive calls on handheld devices such as the Motorola DynaTAC. Canada was among the countries that adopted 1G shortly after its introduction.

But 1G technology suffered from several drawbacks: poor coverage, low sound quality, and the lack of roaming support between various operators. As different systems operated on different frequency ranges, they had no compatibility. When switching carriers or travelling internationally, making or receiving calls was extremely expensive.

Furthermore, the calls were not encrypted, so they could easily be intercepted. Despite its drawbacks and hefty price tag, DynaTAC still managed to rack up an astonishing 20 million global subscribers by 1990. The success of 1G paved the way for 2G – appropriately dubbed such due to technical advancements like better processing power.

2G TECHNOLOGY (1991)

The second generation of mobile networks— known as 2G—was first implemented in Finland under the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard in 1991. With this system, encrypted calls were possible for the first time, and digital voice calling was significantly clearer with less static or background crackling than traditional analogue services had been able to provide.

But 2G was about far more than just making phone calls; it also enabled the transmission of text messages and multimedia content, transforming communications in ways no one could have foreseen. By the time 2G came along, 1G was already well-established. This meant that people enthusiastically adopted 2G—and it became hugely popular among consumers and businesses.

To understand where we are today, due to the inevitable rise in wireless standards from 1G to 6G, it is useful to chart their unstoppable spread across the globe

Although the transmission speeds in 2G networks were slow at first—around 237 kbps (0.2 Mbps)— mobile-phone operators invested heavily in building new infrastructure such as mobile cell towers since there was so much demand for the service.

Despite relatively sluggish speeds, 2G revolutionised the business landscape and changed the world forever. Moving from snail-paced dial-up Internet connections to blazing fast mobile broadband (relatively speaking compared to what we are used to today, of course) was like going from cave paintings to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel—in just a few years.

3G TECHNOLOGY (2000)

In 2001, NTT DoCoMo launched 3G and standardised the network protocol used by vendors. This meant that users could access data from any location worldwide—as long as their phones were equipped to use it. No longer would travellers be limited to their home country’s phone services when travelling abroad.

The increased speed of data transfer made possible by 3G networks allowed for the proliferation of new services such as video conferencing, streaming media, and voice-over IP (such as Skype). In 2002, the Blackberry smartphone was launched—many powerful features of this device were enabled by its ability to connect via 3G.

4G TECHNOLOGY (2008)

The transition from 2G phone networks to 3G was simple: users just needed new SIM cards. However, making the leap up to 4G was a more complicated matter as it required that phones be built with this capability in mind.

This change made it possible for device manufacturers to scale their profits dramatically and was one factor behind Apple’s rise to become the world’s first trillion-dollar company.

According to Statista, approximately 4.7 billion users will use 4G/LTE by 2023, becoming the standard worldwide.

A CLOSER LOOK AT 5G AND ITS CURRENT IMPACT

The development of 5G technology dates from 2008, with the aim to make better use of the radio spectrum and enable many devices to be connected simultaneously. It uses higher frequency waves with shorter wavelengths than previous generations.

5G is much better at handling thousands of devices simultaneously, meaning that a single network can handle mobile phones and equipment sensors—among many other forms of hardware—without slowing down.

The higher-frequency radio bands in which 5G operates – 3.5GHz (gigahertz) to 26GHz and beyond – have much greater capacity than their predecessors. Still, some infrastructure issues are created because cell towers must be spaced more closely to achieve a good signal. In addition, 5G wireless technology is designed to deliver much higher peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, and greater reliability and capacity than previous networks— allowing more users per cell and better performance in dense urban areas.

As mobile networks increase bandwidth and enhance the quality and quantity of content delivered to mobile devices— such as smartphones or tablets— 5G’s benefits will be even more evident for a more user-friendly experience

For 5G to work, the most important cellphone companies in the world will need to install many more transmitters and receivers near homes. It is a significant investment, requiring these companies to be wholly committed to the technology; further negotiations with small towns and municipalities over placing smaller boxes may also be necessary. Nowadays, of the countries that have begun the 5G rollout, China and the United States lead with a combined 652 cities where 5G is available. The Philippines has been able to roll out active connections in 98 cities—making it closest in terms of its rollout schedule.

As leaders focus on building new opportunities and compelling technologies, including the WiFi 6E standard and private 5G networks, they will shift their attention away from simply staying operational.

Executives can benefit from the increasing value that wireless infrastructure and applications unlock by leveraging new location- based services within their networks. In other words, organisations are capable of developing entirely new services and insights that can support their evolving business objectives.

Already, 5G has impacted many organisations, so let’s look at a few examples:

MAKING REMOTE WORK POSSIBLE

With the advent of 5G wireless, people no longer have to be tied down by a mandatory location. With high-speed internet available anywhere, people have the freedom to live anywhere they wish. In fact, as carriers upgrade the network, people living in rural areas and other broadband dead zones will gain access to high-speed internet. This will significantly help the local economy and connect more populations that have traditionally been isolated due to a lack of access to fibre optics that would allow them to connect to more populated areas.

BRINGING EDGE COMPUTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

5G will enable the creation of new edge computing systems that augment cloud infrastructure. By using advanced networking technology, businesses that engage in frequent transactions (such as FinTech companies and mobile banking) or need real-time interaction with their users (such as online gaming providers and live sports broadcasters) can now offer incredibly fast services in sub-10ms latency.

IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF APPS

5G already provides substantial improvements over its predecessors in predictability, which translates into reliable application performance for business users. As mobile networks increase bandwidth and enhance the quality and quantity of content delivered to mobile devices—such as smartphones or tablets—5G’s benefits will be even more evident for a more user-friendly experience.

USING AI AND AUTOMATION TO ENABLE NEW INNOVATIONS

Many companies like Amazon, through Amazon Web Services (AWS), have already begun using new automation and artificial intelligence technologies that depend on faster download speeds.

As businesses prepare for the future and modernise, 5G’s lower latency and faster speeds will be difficult to ignore-especially when combined with automation.

ANALYSING PRODUCT AND PROCESS PERFORMANCE

5G technology makes data a commodity that everyone can access. With the ability to collect so much data in real-time with low latency (almost 100% uptime), we can gain insights into product and process performance that were never before possible. Understanding trending data helps us recognise patterns or issues, allowing for better predictions and therefore improving internal processes, services, and products, among many other things, for optimisation of enterprises and organisations.

A FEW EXAMPLES OF 5G TECHNOLOGY

5G technology will enable new types of intelligent devices to communicate with one another and with their users. These devices can be integrated into various systems, allowing them to self-organise to address a broad spectrum of applications and services. Here are some examples.

SMART CITIES

One of 5G’s primary uses is for smart city applications, such as the Alba Iulia Smart City in Romani. This smart city has traffic monitors, parking sensors, and waste management systems. With the advent of 5G, factories will accommodate an influx of robots on assembly lines and drones for lastmile deliveries. Cars will communicate with one another to avoid hazards or accidents and become fully automated.

Ford and Mercedes-Benz and companies such as John Deere rely on intelligent technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) to power smart factories. Now they are looking at how 5G can drive further innovation in their facilities

Alba Iulia is a relatively small city, but it is an excellent example of the potential of WiFi and IoT connectivity powered by 5G to transform how citizens interact with the government — as well as businesses and visitors — could improve everyone’s lives.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

The automotive industry is poised to experience significant changes in the future with connected and autonomous vehicles— including driverless cars on 5G networks.

With the advent of 5G technology, we will see a new wave of business models. The faster response times made possible by low latency data streams means businesses can deploy more complex applications—and get back to their customers faster.

A U.S.-based start-up, Movandi, develops 5G ecosystems for connected vehicles. All 5G mmWave bands are supported by the company’s integrated antenna modules and radio-frequency chips. Movandi’s algorithms and systems enhance signal coverage while eliminating self-interference.

Furthermore, Movandi BeamXR technology allows smart repeaters to seamlessly integrate with gNB (5G NodeB) and operator networks. These innovations make it easier for operators to implement 5G technologies in their connected-car and cellular vehicle- to-everything (C-V2X) applications—and provide mobile hotspots as an additional source of revenue in nonroaming markets.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

Recently, T-Mobile and Qualcomm have partnered to build augmented reality (AR) applications for smart glasses (such as the Niantic Planet-Scale AR Alliance powered by 5G). The new participants will work alongside other developers and entrepreneurs to build immersive AR experiences for smart glasses using T-Mobile’s 5G network.

With its gigabit speeds and next-generation technology, T-Mobile’s new 5G network is ushering in a new era of mobile computing. And with the Snapdragon Spaces XR developer platform, you can create augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), or other immersive experiences that transform smartphones into powerful pocket computers.

SMART FACTORIES

Ford and Mercedes-Benz are using 5G technology to build smarter factories. Ford and Mercedes-Benz and companies such as John Deere rely on intelligent technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) to power smart factories. Now they are looking at how 5G can drive further innovation in their facilities.

Private 5G networks—networks that don’t share traffic with other cellular networks in the vicinity—play an important role in these factories as they are gaining traction around the world since regulators allocate more spectrum to enterprises.

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Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro

Meta scored a hit with its Quest 2 virtual reality (VR) headset, enabling it to introduce almost 15 million of us to its version of the metaverse. Of course, we’ve always known that this was only the beginning, and soon we will see the introduction of two new headsets that will enable even more immersive and interactive virtual experiences.

Apple Watch Ultra

Apple has been making consumer smart watches for a few years now, but late 2022 saw the introduction of a new model designed to compete with the high-end sports and luxury models recently introduced by competitors such as Garmin and Tag Heuer. The Apple Watch Ultra is encased in a titanium shell, making it more hard-wearing and durable than any previous Apple Watch.

Withings U-Scan

Did you know your urine contains more than 3,000 metabolites, which can be used to create an in-depth snapshot of our health, providing early warnings of a number of medical conditions as well as recommendations for diet and exercise? Smart device manufacturer Withings does, which is why it has created the U-Scan.

GoCycle G4

The G4 from GoCycle is among the first of a new wave of fully foldable electric bikes that can be converted into a more manageable form that’s easy to take onto public transport or even to pack away in a car for vacations or longer journeys.

Timekettle Translation Earbuds

Timekettle has created what it says is the most powerful and sophisticated range of real-time, AI-powered translation earbuds in the world. Coming in a range of models aimed at professional, casual, and travel users, the WT2, M3, and WT2 Plus earbuds enable translation in a range of situations, from business meetings, short conversations while traveling, and phone calls.

Ring Always Home Drone Camera

The latest addition to Ring’s suite of smart home security devices is an autonomous drone designed to patrol your property, enabling you to have eyes on places that static security cameras just won’t reach. As well as potentially alerting you to intruders, it could also come in handy for forgetful homeowners wanting to check that they didn’t leave the kitchen stove on or the windows open.

DJI Avata

Lots of us have discovered the fun as well as the opportunities to capture stunning photography and video footage offered by drones in recent years. The latest offering from the leaders in the field of consumer drone technology, DJI, is aimed at those who want to experience the thrills of first-person flying. The DJI Avata is designed to provide a fully immersive flying experience via a wide field-of-view headset that truly imparts the feeling of high-speed flight from the airborne drone to the user on the ground.

GE Profile Smart Mixer

A high-tech kitchen helper, the GE Smart Mixer automatically weighs out the correct quantities of ingredients thanks to its inbuilt scale and talks users through recipes with step-by-step instructions. Sensors detect the texture and consistency of mixtures to enable the device to offer real-time suggestions while preparing snacks and meals. It also integrates with Google and Amazon Echo devices meaning it can be fully voice-controlled.

Sorce: Forbes

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