Technological change has shaped, and continues to shape, all aspects of our lives. The rate of change has been astonishing, impacting the way we do business, communicate, solve diseases, and much, much more. And it’s an ever evolving situation, with many completely new technologies springing up just this year, especially in the areas of computer science and engineering.

But what do we mean by technological change, and how do we foresee its impact going forward?

Technological change definition

Technological change is the change that arises as a result of development and innovation in technology. It’s a type of change that can refer to both the improvement of existing technologies, and the development of new ones. Technological change has not only increased productivity and efficiencies in this century, but throughout the entire history of civilization.

Examples of technological change

Solar battery storage is a perfect example of a technological change, enabling home-owners to store up electricity and use it when it’s really needed. Electricity can be stored via solar panels during the day to use at night. This new technology is a step forward when it comes to renewable energy. It not only cuts energy bills significantly for consumers, but reduces their carbon footprint.

Future of technological change

There’s no doubt technological innovation is remodelling the world faster than ever. Advances in hardware and software development, and a move towards greater sustainability, security, and connectivity are all sparking a requirement for ever more technological change.

Some emerging technologies to look out for include:

• 5G: According to Ericsson’s Mobility Report, 5G technology will exceed a billion dollars this year. This means uploads, data transfers, and streaming, will become a lot faster. 5G will also grow the internet of things, since more devices can connect to the 5G network without losing any speed or latency.
• AI: AI is helping to automate manufacturing processes and develop self-driving cars. It’s helping companies analyse huge amounts of data that can then be used to develop better strategies and solutions. 

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• The “metaverse”: Many companies are investing in new technologies to bring the “metaverse” to light; the metaverse being a 3D space that people can log into to socialise, work, shop and collaborate (as well as play games in). Metaverse sales topped $501 million last year, and it looks like there’s no sign of any slowdown.
• Blockchain: Blockchain technology is becoming an established solution to many tech challenges, with blockchain units being used, amongst other things, to create digital work, sell it online and earn cryptocurrencies.

Can future technological change transform things as rapidly as past change?

Historically, technological change has been incredibly transformational. For example, the introduction of electricity changed the whole future of human labour, forever. Sanitation, antibiotics, surgery, and the elimination of diseases like smallpox, also improved human welfare on a massive scale. It’s difficult to see how Facebook, or even the internet, could top this.

There are many, however, who believe that new technologies will be just as transformative as those of the past. Even though (as in previous eras) it may take many years before their dramatic effects are realised.

Examples of these types of technologies include: Gene editing, driverless cars and robotic surgery. These are innovations that have yet to turn up in new products, or enjoy widespread use.

On the subject of technological change, Bill Gates says:

In many cases, it’s not technological change that’s holding us back, but a difficulty in persuading users to make use of these innovations and developments. In healthcare, for example, there’s a lot of innovative technology in existence, but a reluctant uptake, and regulatory barriers, are hampering progress.

When it comes to technological change, evolving the actual technology itself often turns out to be far easier than getting people to use it.