Though we have only taken our first few steps into 2018, the forward-thinking technology industry is already making bold predictions for the year to come. 2017 proved to be an electrifying year for all sectors of technological innovation, and companies are looking to continue this growth spurt in 2018. Built In NYC spoke with leaders across multiple tech sectors to learn what exciting things to expect in the year ahead.
You may not think your eating habits are impacted by technology, but the truth is that food and tech are becoming increasingly intertwined: whether it’s ordering groceries, grabbing lunch, or developing new foods entirely — what’s on your plate will no doubt look different in 2018 thanks to companies like Grubhub. Built In NYC spoke with Leah Olverd, product manager of the Diner Re-Engagement Team and Alok Lal, lead software engineer of the Discovery Team, to learn what 2018 might taste like.
What is the most important tech trend you're seeing on your team heading into 2018?
LO: Personalization. We’re seeing that our diners value a more personalized online ordering experience. Rather than making broad recommendations, we’re working to customize the experience for each diner.
AL: Making the shift from traditional data stores to big data and MapReduce frameworks. The continued emergence of big data technologies will allow for analytical trend analysis, learning models and performance optimization.
How is your company working to address this trend?
LO: When we introduced our express reorder feature, we had personalization in mind since our returning diners value a quick and expedited experience when reordering from their favorite restaurants. In 2018, we hope to continue tailoring the experience to improve other aspects of the ordering process.
We’re also excited to find more ways for diners to implement Grubhub into their everyday lives, no matter where they may be. Last year, we announced our Grubhub for Alexa skill as well as integrations with Samsung and TripAdvisor. My team and I are looking forward to working on even more handy products and integrations in 2018. Stay tuned!
AL: One of the biggest tech trends of 2017, which I believe will continue to gain momentum and strength in 2018, is Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms. At Grubhub, we have classified over 14 million menu items on our platform and years of order history and click behavior. This unique dataset gives us deep insight into the universe of food and ordering behavior. We’ve already made exciting amounts of progress extracting structure and meaning from this dataset, and we are looking forward to continuing this in 2018.
The relationship between the media and technology took center stage in 2017. News outlet theSkimm has found unique success in an increasingly unstable industry due to its innovative and user-friendly approach. Head of product Dheerja Kaur told Built In NYC her predictions for the fast-moving future of digital media.
What is the most important digital media trend heading into 2018?
Subscriptions are on the mind for digital media companies as Facebook and Google continue to cannibalize ad dollars. As we head into 2018, we'll see more publishers and digital media companies trying new approaches to their revenue models that are different from what we traditionally see.
Whether it's drawing on learnings from companies like Amazon or Spotify, who are transacting on "must-have" features like two-day shipping or offline listening, or looking to video-first companies like Netflix or YouTube, we'll start to see digital media companies rethink their entire value proposition and how that can fit into a subscription model.
How is your company working to address this trend?
First, we've taken a step back and defined what a Skimm subscription product is — it's part of someone's routine, it's delivered on a regular basis, and every element and feature aligns with a consistent value proposition. We think of all our products as subscription offerings — all users are subscribing to the value proposition with theSkimm, whether they're reading our newsletter for free or paying to use our app.
This approach has been a great framework for the entire product development and content teams to take a creative, collaborative approach to building out our product suite. theSkimm wouldn't be able to do this if we weren't focused on building a diverse team that can bring multiple perspectives and backgrounds to the table when we create products. It's incredibly important that we have a diverse and inclusive environment to be successful as both a business and as the company we strive to be.
There are few niches in tech more “futuristic” than artificial intelligence. But with each year, AI is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our lives. The team at x.ai is working to transform our day-to-day relationship with its AI-powered virtual assistants capable of planning and organizing meetings. x.ai CEO and Founder Dennis R. Mortensen hinted that this type of human-AI relationship could explode in popularity in 2018.
What is the most important AI trend heading into 2018?
The millions of Alexas and Google Homes under Christmas trees are pushing AI Assistants into the mainstream which means that now millions of people will be talking to computers instead of clicking and swiping. The conversational interface will no longer be something just for the geeks like me. In 2018, it will become normal for my mom in Denmark to use these devices, whether it’s to find out the weather forecast, play music throughout the house or even call for a car via a ride-sharing app.
How is your company working to address and adapt to this trend?
Once it’s normal for regular people to speak to what we call horizontal AI assistants [those with broad general knowledge], like Alexa and Siri, it paves the way for vertical AI assistants [those that accurately perform specialized tasks], like Amy and Andrew Ingram, the AI scheduling assistants x.ai is building.
And this trend is very meaningful since social norms dictate how and when we use technology, far more than we might like to admit to ourselves. No matter how much time Amy and Andrew might save you, if your contacts think it’s weird to interact with an AI agent, we won’t get very far. Fortunately, we’re working hard to change that, and Alexa and Google Home will give us a huge assist.
Each new year begins with many people making resolutions dedicated to their health. Companies like Celmatix, which offers women analytical insights into their fertility, are helping people live their best, healthiest lives. Dr. Piraye Yurttas Beim, founder and CEO of Celmatix, told Built In that 2018 will continue drawing consumers even closer to their healthcare providers.
What is the most important health tech trend heading into 2018?
With new entrants into the direct-to-consumer space and a new guidance from the FDA suggesting growing comfort with companies providing genetic risk factor information directly to consumers, I think consumer genetics will boom in 2018.
How is your company working to address this trend?
Celmatix had a huge year in 2017; we launched and received full regulatory approval for the world’s first multigene panel test that reveals what a woman’s DNA says about her reproductive health, which has now been administered to hundreds of women by their doctors. As we look ahead to the new year, I’m excited for all that’s in store for us as women to become better educated about how their unique genetic signature can impact their ability to have the families they want, now and in the future.
Even if you’re not an engineer at a top tech company, knowing how to work with computer code is an increasingly important skill for workers across all industries, from fashion to film to food. As a result, independent coding academies such as The Flatiron School are helping individuals learn the skills they need. Avi Flombaum, co-founder and chief product officer at The Flatiron School, gave Built In NYC his unique insights into the future of coding in 2018.
What is the most important coding & development trend heading into 2018?
I think the most important trend heading into 2018 is the blending of product and services through technology. Code is being used more and more in the physical world, allowing companies to create products that scale the services they offer. We've invented some amazing web applications, yet we still open our doors with keys. We've created a cloud, yet we still have disaggregated electric grids. I'm excited to see technology continue to manifest itself in a tangible and physical world.
Education is a classic example of a false dichotomy of product vs. service, of online or in-person. Either you are a school with teachers providing a service or you are a product that distributes content. Students experience learning either online or in-person. The Flatiron School will marry these ideas together in 2018 and provide online students with in-person access and leverage technology to create an educational product that provides more and more human services.
