Top 7 Emerging AI Trends to Know Beyond 2024 

Since ChatGPT emerged into the public consciousness in 2022, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly taken the technology industry by storm, and it only keeps growing in 2024, with multiple AI trends popping up. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, 73% of US companies use AI in some capacity in their business, while Forbes Advisor highlighted that 97% of business owners think that AI will benefit their businesses.

Therefore, it is not difficult to see why many consider AI the fourth industrial revolution, as the evolution of generative AI has mirrored that of computers, albeit on a dramatically accelerated timeline. For example, we saw the explosion of increasingly efficient foundation models with open licences just last year, with Meta’s Llama and Stable Diffusion.

As of 2024, several key AI trends have begun shaping the future by reflecting advancements in multimodal AI, increasing integration across sectors, and emerging ethical considerations. In this listicle, we will dive into the top seven AI trends emerging in the future.

Top 7 Emerging AI Trends to Know

1) Multimodal AI

In 2024, one AI trend that stood out the most was Multimodal AI. Unlike many large language models (LLMs) that can process only text data, Multimodal AI refers to AI systems that can process and integrate multiple data inputs, such as text, images, audio, and video, to perform tasks and generate outputs.

For example, ChatGPT-4, OpenAI’s multimodal language model, is starting to enable the software to respond to visual and audio input from text, audio, and visual inputs. According to Mark Chen, head of frontier research at OpenAI: “The interfaces of the world are multimodal. We want our models to see what we see and hear what we hear, and we want them also to generate content that appeals to more than one of our senses.”

In addition, AI trends in Multimodal AI have allowed for more diverse data inputs, enriching and expanding the information available for training and inference, such as medical diagnosis in healthcare, navigation and safety in autonomous vehicles, threat detection in security, stock market trends in financial data and many more.

As to what the future holds, future multimodal AI systems may collaborate, sharing and integrating data across different platforms and devices to create a more connected and intelligent ecosystem.

2) AI Agents

AI agents are one of the more emerging AI trends after 2022, marking a significant shift from reactive to proactive AI, as these agents operate autonomously or semi-autonomously to perform tasks, make decisions, and interact with their environments. Unlike traditional AI systems, which require user inputs and predetermined programming, AI agents act to achieve objectives without direct human intervention.

Mark Zuckerberg says in the future there will be more AI agents than people as businesses, creators and individuals create AI agents that reflect their values and interact with the world on their behalf pic.twitter.com/lf8RklwlCi

— Tsarathustra (@tsarnick) July 23, 2024

Computer scientist Peter Norvig, a fellow at Stanford’s Human-Centred AI Institute, wrote: “2023 was the year of being able to chat with an AI. In 2024, we’ll see the ability of agents to get stuff done for you. Make reservations, plan a trip, connect to other services.”

AI agents are already a prevalent application, as our virtual assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant can perform tasks like setting reminders, answering questions or controlling smart home devices. The customer service and finance industry also benefits from AI agents with designated chatbots and personal financial advisors. 

To fully understand what AI agents are, click on our guide here.

3) Shadow AI

Unfortunately, Shadow AI is one of the more non-beneficial AI trends to emerge and will continue to grow beyond 2024. For context, Shadow AI derives from the broader concept of Shadow IT, as it refers to AI applications, systems, or tools used within an organisation without formal approval or awareness from the IT department or top management.

While people at work may assume using generative AI tools for quick and effective solutions is inconsequential, an employee may unintentionally feed trade secrets to an LLM without realising the potential risks of exposing that sensitive information to third parties. In the worst-case scenario, it will lead to data breaches and privacy violations.

According to Ernst & Young’s recent survey, 90% of the 1,000 Americans working desk jobs reported at least one AI technology without proper protocol. It is a worrying trend, but if companies successfully address the associated risks and create an environment that encourages safe and responsible use of AI, they can harness the benefits of these technologies while minimising potential downsides.

4) AI Regulation and Ethics

Speaking of worrying AI trends, the only way to counteract unethical behaviours is through AI regulations. As AI technologies become more integrated into various aspects of society and industry, risks such as deepfakes, privacy concerns, identity thefts, misinformation, and manipulation in media and politics have skyrocketed.

Although governments, organisations, and researchers are focusing on creating frameworks that ensure the responsible development and use of AI, challenges regarding fairness, transparency, accountability, and safety remain. For example, the European Union (EU) drafted one of the world’s first laws governing AI, which includes the prohibition of untargeted image gathering for facial recognition databases, development of biometric categorisation systems prone to bias, implementation of “social scoring” systems, and leveraging AI for social or economic manipulation. 

However, Sumsub, a global full-cycle verification provider, highlighted that 2024 has an upwards of a 245% YoY increase in deepfakes worldwide, prompting an increased urgency in AI regulations implementation. 

With everything considered, AI regulation and ethics are still a grey area and require much more time to address the challenges. As one wise person said: “With great power comes great responsibility”.

5) Open-Source AI

Besides imposing AI regulation and ethics, open-source AI has been trending in 2024. Before Meta’s Llama 2 and Mistral AI’s Mixtral models, ChatGPT was the only choice in the open-source AI market. As the publicly available AI technology under open-source licences increases, it could play a crucial role in shaping future AI trends to promote transparency. 

Starting today, open source is leading the way. Introducing Llama 3.1: Our most capable models yet.

Today we’re releasing a collection of new Llama 3.1 models including our long awaited 405B. These models deliver improved reasoning capabilities, a larger 128K token context… pic.twitter.com/1iKpBJuReD

— AI at Meta (@AIatMeta) July 23, 2024

In addition, making AI technology open source can provide benefits such as accessibility and inclusivity. For example, if open-source AI projects are accessible to anyone, from individual developers to large organisations, it allows a diverse range of contributors to participate in AI development.

However, challenges remain as experts expressed concerns about misusing open-source AI to create disinformation and other harmful content. They claimed that once AI tools are open-sourced, the organisations they originate from lose control over the development and use of the technology. 

Related: Open Source AI vs. Closed Source AI: What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?

6) AI Democratisation

Unlike open-source, which involves developing and distributing AI software, models, and tools under open-source licences, AI democratisation is to broaden access and reduce barriers. To summarise, AI democratisation refers to making AI technologies accessible to a broader audience, including individuals, small businesses, and organisations that may not have extensive technical expertise or significant financial resources. 

For instance, cloud-based AI services like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure offer AI and machine learning (ML) services that users can access without investing in expensive hardware. Platforms like Coursera, edX, and Udacity also offer courses in AI and machine learning ranging from beginner to advanced levels, making it easier for individuals to learn and apply AI skills.

According to Victor Riparbelli, Synthesia CEO, AI democratisation has further potential for individuals, businesses, and society. She stated: “We believe that the cultural understanding of media will change radically in the coming years. The cost and skill barriers to content creation are evaporating, and new, altered forms of communication are rising (TikTok). Many more digital channels will arise, and we’ll see more personalised media than ever. IT will change the way we communicate with each other, on a personal level and in a broad media context.

7) Workplace AI 

Last but not least, one of the AI trends to look ahead beyond 2024 is Workplace AI. Workplace AI refers to integrating AI in various aspects of the workplace to enhance productivity, efficiency, and decision-making. 

In 2024 alone, Workplace AI trends has been prevalent in almost every industry, offering substantial advantages in the business landscape, including scalability, enhanced accuracy, the automation of repetitive tasks, and accelerated completion of specific activities.

Here’s a brief look at the benefits of Workplace AI in each industry:

• Human Resources and Recruitment: AI is streamlining the recruitment process by automating resume screening, identifying the best candidates, and even conducting initial interviews using natural language processing (NLP) technologies
• Data Analysis and Insights: AI models predict future trends based on historical data, enabling businesses to anticipate customer needs, optimise inventory, and manage risks.
• Administrative and Customer Service: AI-powered tools in charge of repetitive administrative tasks such as scheduling, data entry, handling customer inquiries, supporting requests, internal communication, and immediate responses.
• Healthcare: Healthcare organisations utilise image-based AI models as diagnostic tools to speed up interpretation, leading to earlier disease detection.

Parting Notes

All in all, the rapid advancement of AI technology continues to transform various industries and aspects of daily life. The AI trends outlined above reflect a broadening scope of AI applications, from generative models and healthcare innovations to ethical considerations and sustainability efforts.

While it provides many benefits, we must navigate these AI trends thoughtfully, ensuring that AI developments are ethical, inclusive, and beneficial to society.

For more AI-related content, follow our Twitter for timely updates and more regarding the latest AI trends shaping our future.