Blog, Pitang.

Disruptive technologies are innovative technologies with the potential to transform and revolutionize the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us. These technologies typically involve significant advances in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, quantum computing, advanced materials, clean energy, and transportation. 

Current technologies offer great opportunities to improve our lives, especially in areas such as education, healthcare, and other services.  

The 10 Most Important Technologies of 2023, According to MIT 

MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, annually selects and publishes reports on the 10 most important technologies of the moment—those that will have a major impact on our lives. Check out below what they are for 2023. 

1. CRISPR for high cholesterol 

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology is a powerful gene-editing tool that allows scientists to modify

DNA in a precise manner. Recently, researchers discovered that the CRISPR technique can be used to lower high cholesterol in humans. 

In a study published in 2020, researchers used the CRISPR technique on patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol levels. The results showed an average reduction of 52% in LDL cholesterol in patients treated with CRISPR therapy, compared to those who received a placebo. 

Although CRISPR therapy for high cholesterol is still in the experimental phase and we do not know if it is safe, initial results are promising and suggest there could be a new treatment option for patients who do not respond well to current therapies. Some argue that we should focus on treating people with serious illnesses in the meantime, but if these new forms of CRISPR work, they could help many other types of treatments.

2. AI that creates Images 

OpenAI launched its DALL-E text-to-image model in 2021. In it, you type a brief description and the program delivers an image of what you described in seconds. DALL-E 2, launched in April 2022, was a major leap forward. Google also launched its own image-generating AI, called Imagen.  

However, the biggest game changer was Stable Diffusion, an open-source text-to-image model released for free by British startup Stability AI in August. Stable Diffusion not only managed to produce some of the most impressive images to date, but it was also designed to run on a home computer. 

The technology is now being incorporated into commercial software such as Photoshop. Visual effects artists and video game studios are also exploring how this can speed up development pipelines. And text-to-image technology has already advanced to text-to-video. The AI-generated video clips demonstrated by Google, Meta, and others in recent months last only a few seconds, but that will change. One day, movies could be made just by feeding a script into a computer. 

3. RISC-V Chips: A chip design that changes everything 

RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) designed for use in microprocessors and microcontrollers. The ISA is based on reduced instruction set computer (RISC) principles and is designed to be simple, efficient, and extensible. 

These chips can be used in a variety of applications, including embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, mobile devices, and high-performance computing systems. 

One of the advantages of using RISC-V chips is that they are open-source, which means the architecture is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This makes it easier for designers and developers to create custom chips that meet their specific needs. 

Overall, RISC-V chips offer a flexible, customizable solution for a wide range of applications, and their open-source architecture makes them an attractive option for developers who want more control over their hardware. 

4. Mass-market military drones 

Mass-market military drones are drones for military use that are being mass-produced and marketed for use in various military applications. 

These drones are generally smaller and more affordable in terms of price compared to larger, more sophisticated models. They can be used for purposes such as reconnaissance, surveillance, cargo transport, attack, and defense, among others. 

Mass-market military drones are becoming increasingly popular worldwide due to their ability to provide real-time information as well as perform tasks that would be too dangerous or impractical for human soldiers to carry out. However, the commercialization of these drones has also raised concerns regarding privacy and security, and there are ongoing debates about their ethical and responsible use. 

5. Abortion pills via telemedicine 

Access to abortion care has dropped drastically in the United States, but with the pandemic, there was a major shift in the other direction: the ability to access care without leaving home. In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) temporarily allowed healthcare providers to mail patients two pills—Mifepristone and Misoprostol—which, when taken together, can induce an abortion.  

Six months later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that abortion is no longer a constitutional right, preventing many women from having an abortion. Thus, healthcare providers, through nonprofit organizations and startups, turned to telehealth to prescribe and deliver pills that allow people to safely induce abortions at home. 

With this program, eligible patients register with a photo ID and then consult with a doctor via video call, text, or an app. The provider prescribes the pills and they are shipped to the patient's home.  

6. Organs on demand 

Far more people need an organ transplant to live than can get one. Every day, an average of 17 people in the U.S. alone die waiting for an organ transplant. These people could be saved—and many others helped—by a potentially unlimited supply of healthy organs.

Animal organs are one such potential solution, but it is not easy to overcome the human body's natural rejection of them. For example, sugars on the surface of pig tissue can send our immune system into attack mode. Drugs can help quiet the response, but they are not enough. Because of this, biotech companies have used gene editing to modify pigs, removing these sugar molecules and adding other genes to make pig organs more compatible with human organs. 

As such, pigs are genetically modified and their organs can be transplanted into humans, alongside 3D-printing lungs using the patient's own cells. The idea is to produce organs on a large scale to meet a growing demand for transplants, thereby avoiding long waiting lists and donor shortages. 

7. Electric Vehicles 

Although electric vehicle sales had risen slowly for years, they are now growing much faster. Zero-emission cars and trucks are on track to account for about 30% of these sales by the end of this decade, according to the International Energy Agency. A mix of forces has propelled the vehicles from a niche choice to a mainstream option.  

Electric vehicles are powered by batteries, which store electrical energy to run an electric motor. They are more energy-efficient and emit fewer pollutants than fossil fuel-powered vehicles. In addition, falling battery costs have made electric vehicles more affordable.  

Major challenges still lie ahead. Most vehicles need to become cheaper. Charging options need to be more convenient. Clean electricity generation will have to increase dramatically to accommodate the surge in vehicle charging, and producing enough batteries will be a massive undertaking.  

8. James Webb Space Telescope 

Launched in December 2021 after decades of work, NASA's $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope—a collaboration between the U.S., Europe, and Canada—is the largest telescope ever sent into space and about 100 times more powerful than its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope was named in honor of James E. Webb, a NASA administrator during the 1960s who led the Apollo program that put humans on the Moon.  

Astronomers hope that, with the JWST, they will be able to understand how the universe's first galaxies formed after the Big Bang. But that is not the JWST's only goal. The telescope is being used across the full breadth of astronomy. It could provide unprecedented insights into planets in other solar systems, allowing us to find out what their atmospheres are made of. It will witness the birth of new worlds, capture magnificent images of planetary nebulae, probe the structure of galaxies, and much more. The telescope is expected to make many significant discoveries and increase our understanding of the universe we live in. 

9. Ancient DNA analysis 

Ancient DNA analysis, also known as archaeogenetics, is a technique that enables the study of genetic material found in ancient remains—such as bones, teeth, and hair—to gain insight into the evolutionary history and migration of species over time. 

Scientists can even analyze microscopic traces of DNA found in the dirt where Neanderthals urinated—without the need for teeth or bones. In November, the field now known as paleogenomics took center stage when Svante Pääbo, a geneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, won the Nobel Prize for his foundational work. 

Ancient samples can also unravel the mysteries of modern health. Last year, scientists identified a single mutation that made people 40% more likely to survive the Black Death—and it is also a risk factor for autoimmune conditions such as Crohn's disease.  

In short, ancient DNA analysis is a powerful technique that allows the study of the evolutionary history and migration of species over time. It is a valuable tool for research in various fields, including archaeology, anthropology, biology, and forensics. 

10. Battery recycling 

Demand for lithium-ion batteries is skyrocketing as electric vehicles become more common. Increasing the use of electric vehicles is good news for the climate, but supplies of the metals needed to build battery cells are already stretched thin, and demand for lithium could increase 20-fold by 2050. 

Battery recycling is the process of extracting and reusing valuable materials from used or discarded batteries, rather than dumping them in landfills or simply burning them. Batteries contain a range of metals and other materials that can be recovered and reused, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, aluminum, and lead. 

Battery recycling is important for several reasons. First, because we can recover materials and reduce the need for mining and extracting natural resources; and second, because batteries contain toxic substances that can contaminate soil and water if disposed of improperly, and recycling can help minimize these environmental risks and protect public health.  

Currently, China leads the world in battery recycling, dominated by subsidiaries of major battery companies like CATL.

The European Union recently proposed sweeping recycling regulations with mandates for battery manufacturers. And companies in North America, such as Redwood Materials and Li-Cycle, are rapidly scaling operations, funded by billions of dollars in public and private investment.  

Pitang's Work with Disruptive Technologies 

Pitang has innovation in its DNA and, throughout its history, has worked with the cutting edge of technology. In 2019, with the goal of better serving our partners and clients, we created Pitang Labs.

 
The Labs is the innovation laboratory responsible for testing and implementing modern, disruptive technological trends. Here, we conduct experiments based on real problems and, through proofs of concept, demonstrate the viability of the technology, which further strengthens our clients' confidence. 

Since 2021, when the first beta accesses to these platforms emerged, we have already conducted experiments with GPT-3 and DALL-E for text and image generation. Today, we are already using the latest text- and image-generation technologies in our products—initially internal—as they emerge in the community. 

We have also been heavily involved in Blockchain projects with BBChain, a company invested in by Pitang and a specialist in corporate blockchain, which also has its own lab dedicated to research and experimentation with Blockchain.

In addition, Pitang Labs has also been developing client experiments using various other technologies such as Augmented Reality, Machine Learning, OCR, and Voice Synthesis, for example. 

To further enhance our knowledge and our value proposition, we have strengthened partnerships with the country's leading innovation and technology centers. One of them is CIn – UFPE, which features renowned researchers in the fields of Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Machine Learning. 

Source: MIT - https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/09/1066394/10-breakthrough-technologies-2023/