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CHAPTER 1: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

MODULE OVERVIEW

As we embark on this new semester and a new normal of classroom set-up, let us embrace this as an
opportunity to pursue academic excellence amidst pandemic and learn as one.

The term emerging technology has a considerable growing interest in the area of research in the industry,
market, and academe. Emerging technology has different definitions for different people. Some consider
emerging technology as new technologies, while some define them as technologies of the future. There are
also people who consider them as continuous innovation of previous technologies.

In this chapter, we will discuss what emerging technology is and examine the characteristics of an emerging
technology to consider how technology emerged in our world. I will introduce some emerging technologies
that are considered to reshape our daily lifestyle and industry in the near future.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this topic session, the students should be able to:
1. Define emerging technologies.
2. Understand the characteristics of emerging technologies and how they emerge.
3. Identify some emerging technologies and define their potential applications.
4. Explain how emerging technologies are transforming Business, Industries and our Lives.
5. Define what Industrial Revolution is, and identify its four (4) stages.

LEARNING CONTENTS (TOPIC 1: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES)

WHAT IS EMERGING TECHNOLOGY?

There is no widely agreed-upon definition of "Emerging Technologies (ETs)." Very few articles provide a
clear scope and complete definition for ET, and searching for an ET definition using a search engine does not
return much information. Day and Schoemaker (2000) and Srinivasan (2008) state that ETs are science-
based innovations with the potential to create a new industry or transform an existing one. Meanwhile, the
Business Dictionary defines ET as "new technologies that are currently developing or will be developed over
the next five to ten years, and which will substantially alter the business and social environment.” This
definition considers new technology as ET, which is not entirely accurate. This is one of the main
misconceptions about ET. Technology can still be considered emerging in one context even though it has
been considered established in another. The context here is related to place, domain, or application. For
example, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is not considered emerging in developed countries, whereas
it is described as an ET in other poor and developing countries in the world where the Internet and
communication technology infrastructures are still poor.

Some people consider emerging technologies as innovations of existing technologies, which are used
creatively for modernity. For example, artificial intelligence was first developed in the 1950s, but up to date
this is still considered as an emerging technology because this development is still progressing and is
embedded in various areas.

Therefore, Emerging Technologies are not necessarily new. Technology is labeled as emerging in a particular
context (domain, place, or application) but can be established elsewhere. Technology is also considered
emerging when it is not widespread in a particular context. ET has no limited or fixed life. Technology is
defined as emerging when it causes a radical change to business, industry, or society.

LEARNING CONTENTS (TOPIC 2: CHARACTERISTICS OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY)

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Technology can also be labelled as an emerging technology through its characteristics. Table 1 shows the
descriptions of emerging technology’s five (5) main characteristics and how technologies emerge according to
Rotolo et al. (2015).

CHARACTERISTICS DESCRIPTION

Emerging technology may take the form of a progressing technology. Novelty or

newness can also be generated by putting existing technology to a new use. For
example, the applications of artificial intelligence are applied to different uses to
achieve different results.
1. Radical Novelty
Emerging technologies are radically novel. For example, they fulfil a given function
by using a different basic principle as compared to what the previous technology
used to achieve a similar purpose.

Emerging technologies show relatively fast growth rates compared to non-

emerging technologies. Growth may be observed across a number of dimensions,
such as the number of actors involved, public and private funding, knowledge
2. Relatively Fast
outputs produced, prototypes, products, and services.
Growth
For example, users of Artificial Intelligence are growing (e.g., various companies,
universities, and individuals)

Emerging technology is convergence of preciously separated research streams

and technologies that have already moved beyond the purely conceptual stage.
Coherence refers to the internal characteristics of a group being united and logical
interconnection. Coherence and its persistence over time distinguish technologies
3. Coherence that have acquired a certain identity and momentum from those still in a state if flux
and therefore not yet emerging.

For example, cloud, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and robotics are grouped
to achieve different use.

Emerging technology provides benefits for a wide range of sectors, transforms an

industry, and exerts much enhanced economic influence. It applies a noticeable
impact with narrow scope, as well as wide-ranging impact across domains and
potentially the entire socio-economic system by changing the composition of
actors, institutions, patterns of interactions among those, and the associated
4. Prominent Impact
knowledge production processes.

For example, artificial intelligence provides a prominent impact and enormous

changes in different sectors such as businesses, academe, healthcare, and
individuals around the world.

The prominent impact of emerging technologies lies somewhere in the future.

Thus, uncertainty features in the emergence process. On the other hand,
ambiguity arises because proposed applications are still malleable. Even the
5. Uncertainty and knowledge of the emergence’s possible outcomes is incomplete.
Ambiguity
Uncertainty and ambiguity are key starting concepts for a wide variety of science
and technology studies that focus on the role of the expectations in technological
emergence. Emerging technologies are also characterized by uncertainty in their
possible outcomes and uses, which may be unintended and undesirable, and by

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ambiguity in the meanings that different social groups associate with the given
technology.

For example, there are various applications or uses of artificial intelligence that
some people can predict, but these applications may or may not be successfully
developed.

Table 1. Characteristics of Emerging Technology

In conclusion, these characteristics define emerging technology as a radically novel and relatively fast growing
technology through a certain degree of coherence persisting over time. These also have the potential to exert
a considerable impact on the socio-economic domain(s) which is observed in terms of actors and institutions,
as well as their patterns of interactions, along with the associated knowledge production processes. Its most
prominent impact, however, lies in the future and so the emergence phase is still somewhat uncertain and
ambiguous.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.1

GROUP ACTIVITY 1.1

This activity will help you analyse whether a certain technology should be considered as an emerging
technology or not. Your Instructor will select from the topics below to assign to each group.

A. Virtual Reality F. Virtual Assistants such as Window’s

B. 5G Technology Cortana, Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant and
C. Big Data Amazon’s Alexa
D. Cloud Computing G. Blockchain Technology
E. Internet of Things / IoT H. Artificial Intelligence
I. Quantum Computers

Instruction: Gather information, record and analyse the characteristics of the assigned technology to your
group. Then create a conclusion based on the defined explanations on its characteristics if it should be
considered as emerging technology or not.

Note: You may use the following websites to read and gather information about the technology:

- https://www.cnet.com/
- https://www.weforum.org/

LEARNING CONTENTS (TOPIC 2: EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AREAS AND THEIR POTENTIAL

APPLICATIONS)

According to the World Economic Forum, the following areas of emerging technologies have the potential of
altering deep-rooted practices of industries in the future:

1. ARITIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

- AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines. These processes include
learning, reasoning, and self-correction.

Examples of AI Technology

AI is incorporated into a variety of different types of technology. Here are some examples:

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 Automation. When paired with AI technologies, automation tools can expand the volume and types
of tasks performed. An example is robotic process automation (RPA), a type of software that
automates repetitive, rules-based data processing tasks traditionally done by humans. When
combined with machine learning and emerging AI tools, RPA can automate bigger portions of
enterprise jobs, enabling RPA's tactical bots to pass along intelligence from AI and respond to
process changes.

 Machine learning is the application of AI that provides a machine the ability to learn from experience
like humans. It is used in various applications such as healthcare, financial and marketing services,
earth observation, and transportation. In healthcare, for example, machine learning algorithms will be
applied to identify and develop new medicines at a rapid pace.

 Robotics. This field of engineering focuses on the design and manufacturing of robots. Robots are
often used to perform tasks that are difficult for humans to perform or perform consistently. For
example, robots are used in assembly lines for car production or by NASA to move large objects in
space. Researchers are also using machine learning to build robots that can interact in social
settings.
 Self-driving cars. Autonomous vehicles use a combination of computer vision, image recognition and
deep learning to build automated skill at piloting a vehicle while staying in a given lane and avoiding
unexpected obstructions, such as pedestrians.

Figure 1.1 Robotics and Self-Driving Car

2. QUANTUM COMPUTERS
- Computers that use quantum mechanics to perform calculations that can solve some problems far
more efficiently than a conventional computer. Quantum computers use qubit as their basic unit of
computation. Qubit is analogous to the standard bit (0 or 1), but it is in a quantum superposition between two
(2) computational quantum states. It can be a 0 and a 1 at the same time. So far, the largest quantum
computers that laboratories have demonstrated are from IBM, Google, Rigetti Computing and IonQ.

Researchers and a growing number of academics are developing programs and quantum computing
software. Once refined, powerful quantum computers in the future could simulate nature itself, such as atoms,
molecules, and could help in designing materials.

3. AUGMENTED REALITY (AR)

- AR is the technology that overlays computer-generated display, sound, text, and effects on a user’s
view of the real world. It combines real and computer-based scenes and images to deliver a unified but
enhanced view of the world. There are various applications of AR, such as an in-car display with guides to
help the driver drive and reverse park safely, games such as Pokemon Go, and applications that help
shopper’s view how a piece of furniture will look in their living room before buying it.

The figures below show some examples of Augmented Reality:

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Figure 1.2 Example of Augmented Reality (Games & Business)

4. INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT)

- IoT is a computing concept that describes the idea of everyday physical objects being connected to
the Internet and being able to communicate and interact with other devices. This may include sensor and
wireless technologies. IoT allows field devices to interact with one another and with more centralized
controllers. It will also decentralize analytics and decision-making, thereby enabling real-time responses and
results.

OTHER AREAS OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES:

5. CLOUD COMPUTING

- Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the
internet. These services are divided into three main categories: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as
a service (PaaS) and software as a service (SaaS).

A cloud can be private or public. A public cloud sells services to anyone on the internet. A private cloud is a
proprietary network or a data center that supplies hosted services to a limited number of people, with certain
access and permissions settings. Private or public, the goal of cloud computing is to provide easy, scalable
access to computing resources and IT services.

CLOUD COMPUTING vs. TRADITIONAL WEB HOSTING

A cloud service has three distinct characteristics that differentiate it from traditional web hosting:

 Users can access large amounts of computing power on demand. It is typically sold by the minute or the
hour.
 It is elastic -- a user can have as much or as little of a service as they want at any given time.
 The service is fully managed by the provider (the consumer needs nothing but a personal computer and
Internet access). Significant innovations in virtualization and distributed computing, as well as improved
access to high-speed internet, have accelerated interest in cloud computing.

CLOUD COMPUTING EXAMPLES

Examples of cloud computing includes:

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1. Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365: Users can access Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365
through the internet. Users can be more productive because they can access work presentations and
spreadsheets stored in the cloud at anytime from anywhere on any device.

2. Email, Calendar, Skype, WhatsApp: Emails, calendars, Skype and WhatsApp take advantage of
the cloud's ability to provide users with access to data remotely so they can access their personal
data on any device, whenever and wherever they want.

3. Zoom: Zoom is a cloud-based software platform for video and audio conferencing that records
meetings and saves them to the cloud, enabling users to access them anywhere and at any time.

LEARNING CONTENTS (TOPIC 3: THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION / INDUSTRY 4.0)

The technical advances change the way of production technology. The stages of production
technology are called the “INDUSTRIAL REVOLOTION.” The industrial revolution is the systematic
transformation of manufacturing through the integration of physical and digital systems to improve quality,
lower costs, and increase efficiency. Because of this, production technologies fundamentally changed the
working conditions and lifestyles of people. There are four (4) stages of industrial revolution:

 FIRST INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, or Industry 1.0, began in the 18th Century. This is the
introduction of the mechanical production using hydroelectric and steam-powered equipment.

 SECOND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, or Industry 2.0, began in the 19th century. New
technological systems that use electricity were introduced during this revolution, which allowed for
even greater production and more sophisticated machines.

 THIRD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, or Industry 3.0, began with the first computer era. This
industrial revolution evolved the use of electronics and information technology to automate a
production process further. Manufacturing and automation advance considerably because of internet
access, connectivity, and renewable energy.

 FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, or Industry 4.0, is the current and developing environment.
The disruptive and cutting-edge technologies, such as the Internet of Things (Iot), robotics, virtual
reality (VR), AR, and AI, are changing the way we live and work. Industry 4.0 will lead to changes in
traditional production relationships among suppliers, producers, customers, as well as between
humans and machines.

Some of the technologies from the building blocks of industry 4.0 are the following:

 Big Data Analytics

 Internet of Things (IoT)
 Cloud Computing
 Augmented Reality (AR)

Figure 2.2 shows the First Four Main Revolutions in the Industrial World.

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Figure 2.2 First Four main Revolution in the Industrial World

The emerging technologies driving the fourth industrial revolution include, among others artificial
intelligence and robotics, neuro-technologies, biotechnologies, virtual and augmented reality and so on that
are advanced within the last decade.

SUMMARY / KEY LEARNINGS

 Ideas and innovations being developed today will become the technologies used daily in our future
society. As a BSIT student, you should know the current trends and acquire more knowledge to explore
the impact and applicability of emerging technologies on business and industry, academe, society, and
individual.
 There are four stages of industrial revolution, from Industry 1.0 to 4.0. It is the era when power-driven
machinery was developed.

REFERENCES

Day, G., Schoemaker, P. (2000). Wharton on managing emerging technologies. New York, NY: John Wiley
and Sons, Inc.

Srinivasan, R. (2008). Sources, Characteristics and Effects of Emerging Technologies: Research

Opportunities in Innovation. Industrial Marketing Management, 37, 633-640.

Rotolo, D., Hicks, D., & Martin, B. (2015). What is an emerging technology?. SPRU Working Paper Series, 44,
1-34. doi: 10.6084/M9.FIGSHARE.1335986

https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/the-first-four-main-revolutions-in-the-industrial-world-428cf3dd0f78

Cloud Computing (n.d.). In Techtarget. Retrieved from

https://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/definition/cloud-computing

Artificial Technology (n.d.). In TechTarget. Retrieved from

https://searchenterpriseai.techtarget.com/definition/AI-Artificial-Intelligence

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Augmented Reality (n.d.). In Techopedia. Retrieved from

https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4776/augmented-reality-ar

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