2023 has been such an interesting year in tech. We have witnessed the rise of AI, which has completely changed not only the way we work but also how we live. Unfortunately, we have seen more layoffs in tech as businesses continue to cut costs to cover their increased expenses due to inflation. Tech did dominate the news outside AI, with the continued battle between the US and Tiktok and also Sam Altman being fired and then getting rehired from OpenAI which will be discussed. Here is a round-up of some of the tech news of 2023.

The Rise of AI

2023 saw the rise of ChatGPT which has so far been a success, according to Google it currently has 180.5 million users and in October 2023 the website generated over 1.7 billion visits. This is a remarkable achievement considering ChatGPT is just over a year old. Not to be outdone by OpenAI’s success, Microsoft, Google, Meta and even X announced their version of ChatGPT. We will most likely see more in 2024 as the AI Chatbot space gets more crowded.

The success can be attributed to individuals utilising chatbots for various daily tasks such as generating diet plans, organising shopping lists, planning holiday itineraries, and even receiving assistance in coding. More and more companies are using chatbots to help assist employees to be more productive. 

As AI models continue to get better and evolve, expect to see an even bigger increase in the use of chatbots. Outside Chatbots, improved AI models have helped speed up scientific studies at such a high rate, having helped in the medical field to detect diseases like cancers quickly and have taken learning to another level. 

While there are concerns with AI, and understandably so, what we have seen in AI this past year has been nothing short of incredible.

Sam Altman – OpenAI Saga

He was hired, fired, and then rehired. November 17th would be a date to remember for OpenAI for mixed reasons. OpenAI unexpectedly decided to dismiss Sam Altman, accusing him of “not consistently being candid in his communications with the board” and citing concerns over his opinions on AI security. This sent OpenAI and social media into a meltdown.

The following Saturday, the move seemed to annoy investors who demanded Altman’s reinstatement and also insisted that the remaining board should resign. A new type of chaos was brewing in Silicon Valley. The next day, Microsoft, one of OpenAI’s investors, took this opportunity to announce that Sam Altman would be joining them and leading Microsoft’s new advanced AI research team. To add insult to injury, Microsoft would offer job opportunities to any OpenAI employees who wanted to leave. Checkmate!

The following week, over 700 employees wrote an open letter threatening to quit and follow Altman to Microsoft. Things got even weirder when certain board members started to regret the move and wanted Sam Altman back.

Then, days later, OpenAI announced Sam Altman’s return and mentioned they would even consider giving him a board member seat along with Microsoft. The new board seat was designated for Microsoft, and it’s unclear if Sam also has a seat on the board. This whole saga would make an interesting show on TV and also highlights the need for some sort of governing body for AI companies. There must have been real concerns over Sam Altman’s views on AI security and other matters for them to initially vote him out. OpenAI’s statement on booting Sam out was vague and ambiguous.

Apple Announces Vision Pro 

In June, Apple announced its entry into the VR/AR market with its Vision Pro headset. The headset is intended to be booted up with its own OS called VisionOS. This marked a bold move for Apple, which has been accused in recent years of lacking innovation and trying new things. It was starting to feel like every new iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch just came with a new chip, and that was it. The Vision Pro marks the next stage for Apple and its future lineups.

Apple has stated that its Vision Pro will reshape the future of computers, a bold statement indeed. With its steep price of $3,499, it is something to keep an eye on to see if there is a large enough demand for the headset. The cost of the Vision Pro has been heavily criticized, with many saying it is too expensive to go mainstream. However, Apple has always found a way to make expensive devices mainstream.

US vs TikTok 

It feels like every year there has been a court case involving a tech company, and 2023 was no different. TikTok has been challenged by lawmakers in the US to have it banned completely. The US believes the app poses a national risk. The White House, on February 27th, told federal agencies that they had 30 days to delete the app from all government devices and also banned government workers from downloading it.

The main reason why the US wants to ban TikTok is because of the Chinese government. The US is worried that China could push misinformation on TikTok. The Chinese government is allowed by law to demand sensitive data for intelligence-gathering, and this also makes the US uncomfortable.

Almost two dozen states have banned TikTok on government-issued devices. Even universities have gone in on the act by banning TikTok on their Wi-Fi networks. This is pretty pointless as students can just use their cellular data to jump back into TikTok.

New York City banned TikTok in August 2023 from city-owned devices after the city’s Cyber Command determined that the app was a security threat to the city’s technical networks. And as of December, the ban had been upheld, preventing state employees from downloading and using TikTok.

The likely outcome would be TikTok selling to a US-based company or facing a possible ban. Expect this to rumble on in 2024.

Microsoft Acquire Activision

2023 was a mixed year for the game industry, with significant layoffs compared to previous years, and some developers really struggled. On the other side of the coin, there was an overall increase in game sales, and the year marked the release of successful titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Spiderman 2. The biggest news was no doubt Microsoft acquiring Activision.

The deal is worth around $68.7 billion, surpassing the $26 billion Microsoft paid to acquire LinkedIn in 2016. The deal took 20 months, as Microsoft had to battle regulators from both the UK and US. In the end, Microsoft defeated the Federal Trade Commission in a US federal court and then restructured the deal to strengthen its case with the Competition and Markets Authority in the UK.

This shows Microsoft’s intent to dominate the game industry; the deal also includes Microsoft having full ownership of major titles like Diablo, Call of Duty, and Candy Crush.

2024 will definitely bring up some more news around AI and hopefully bring fewer layoffs and more positive tech news for the world. Will AI play a huge part in the major countries’ 2024 elections? More deep fake issues? 2024 will be an even more interesting year for tech.