Introduction
At the heart of the World Economic Forum’s mission
of improving the state of the world lies the belief in
the power of human ingenuity, entrepreneurship,
innovation and cooperation. That power is on full
display in this year’s edition of the Top 10 Emerging
Technologies report.
Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), such
as deep learning, generative AI and foundation
models, enable remarkable progress in
strengthening human innovation. The world is on
the cusp of a science discovery revolution driven
by AI. Uniquely able to ingest and organize vast
amounts of information, AI-enabled discoveries will
likely improve disease management, propose new
materials and better our understanding of the body
and mind. Meanwhile, synthetic data can protect
personal privacy while providing new global data
sharing and collaboration opportunities.
Collaboration, of course, relies on connection, and
several of the top 10 herald a shift to more adaptive,
efficient and inclusive connectivity. Reconfigurable
intelligent surfaces (RIS) change shape dynamically
to optimize wireless communication links; they
combine meta-materials, smart algorithms and
advanced signal processing to control and
manipulate electromagnetic waves. High-altitude
platform stations, through aircraft, blimps or even
simple balloons, can bring mobile network access
to remote regions lacking the infrastructure required
to deploy ground-based systems. Such technology
can bridge the digital divide, bringing internet
access to over 2.6 billion people in 100 countries
that still lack internet service as of 2023. With the
emergence of 6G systems, networks can now act
as sensors, using radio signals to scan the physical
world, improving communication performance and
enabling integrated sensing and communication.
Improving the state of the world also means
protecting our planet and people. This year,
human health saw the first genetically engineered
organ from a pig implanted successfully into a
human, giving hope to the millions waiting for
transplants. Immersive technologies, combining
computing power and virtual approaches, promise
rapid improvement in the systems and physical
infrastructure we rely on daily.
On the environmental front, many of the top
10 demonstrate how technology can play a
multifaceted role in addressing climate change,
encompassing mitigation strategies, sustainable
infrastructure development and promoting energy-
efficient solutions. Elastocalorics, releasing heat
under mechanical stress and absorbing it upon
relaxation, promise much higher efficiency and
lower energy use than current technology. Similarly,
another positive environmental development is
the emergence of alternative livestock feeds,
reducing agroindustry waste or residues, native
crop depletion and related resource consumption.
Additionally, addressing global warming head-on,
engineered organisms that convert emissions into
products such as biofuels offer hope for mitigating
increasing carbon dioxide levels.
The following pages delve into the specifications of
the top 10 emerging technologies of 2024 and how
they can help improve the state of the world. We
invite you to engage and welcome your feedback.
A message from the Top 10 Emerging
Technologies Steering Group Co-Chairs.
Mariette DiChristina
Dean, Boston University
College of Communication
Bernard Meyerson
Chief Innovation Officer
Emeritus, IBM
Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2024 4
