Welcome to ZDNET Innovation Index, which identifies the most innovative technology developments of the past week and ranks the top four, based on votes from our panel of editors and experts. Our mission is to help you identify the trends that will have the greatest impact on the future.
Leading this week’s ranking was the extremely confident Qualcomm group. AI Day Media Workshopwhich captivated ZDNET editor Kyle Kucharski. The processor giant laid out several goals and plans for the future of its AI, solidifying its chips as the foundation for several current and future use cases. Qualcomm also emphasized on-device AI as the way forward — further confirmation that the boom will be toward seamless integration with our personal tech — and unveiled its ultimate vision, which it calls “embodied AI.” Bottom line: The company is well-positioned to be the foundation of what’s to come.
Microsoft comes in second with its Surface 7 Laptopthat is designed to be maintained and repaired like never before. iFixit went so far as to call the change “stunning”: it’s clear that the company has raised the bar for durability and product lifespan. The design choices flip the script on the planned obsolescence we’ve come to expect from most consumer tech. Plus, what’s more future-proof than technology that survives longer and has less of an impact on the environment?
In Spot #3, we have more news on the AI jobs front: Research shows that college graduates with AI experience are more and more attractive across almost every industry. While the pros, cons, and cons of AI in business are still being determined, this is a useful insight to consider for those starting their careers at a time when technology’s influence on hiring is still fluid. Additionally, we have lots of advice on the subject.
In last position (but certainly not least) are AI-powered text detectors, which seem to be improving, according to David Gewirtz’s analysis. In his experience, these tools have mostly failed, which does not bode well for a future where the common availability of synthetic content impacts media, politics, education and culture. However, this latest test showed that they can much more accurately identify AI-generated text from original human writing – an encouraging development for navigating an uncertain landscape ahead.
