Have you ever wondered what a cave dweller would think of the internet? Perhaps what Cleopatra would have made of video calls? Ever tried to explain bitcoin to your parents? Technology has always evolved in a rather exponential manner, and advancements made in the 4th Industrial Revolution will accelerate innovation at a pace ten times that of their predecessors.
Figure 1. SK hynix demonstrates sustainable semiconductor technology at CES 2022
This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) showcased incredible tech innovations and inspired prototypes for the future. Everything from the metaverse to the latest eco-friendly innovations, nothing was left to the imagination this past January. Flipping the script on technologies previously thought impossible, the internet aims to become decentralized, digital twins are fast-tracking production in every sector, and the metaverse is finally taking shape—but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Nuanced AI and Voice Assistants
With natural language processing (NLP) capabilities improving voice-activated personal assistants in speakers and on our mobile phones, we’ll no longer be limited to a shortlist of key phrases and actions. Using your voice to make requests of technology will follow a more natural dialogue thanks to the analysis of hours of cataloged conversation. Assistants will continue to learn how to answer the specific needs of individual users by recognizing unique speech patterns and terminology use, increasing the number of complex commands they can execute. Some AI voice-activated assistants are becoming so advanced they can even write news articles independently, making receiving benefits like a personalized news briefing each morning a genuine possibility.
Next-Gen Computing
The advancements in quantum computing have the potential to disrupt nearly every industry, whether it’s completing molecule-level simulations, breaking cryptographic algorithms, or fast-tracking the adoption of self-driving vehicles. Processing, storing, and accessing datapoints securely and efficiently is critical to the success of such sophisticated computing functions.
Harnessing the phenomena of quantum mechanics in computation requires advanced semiconductor solutions like next-gen DRAM. Last October, SK hynix became the first in the industry to develop the High Bandwidth Memory 3, HBM3, the world’s best-performing DRAM. As the demands of DRAM continue to evolve alongside computer technology, research persists to unlock the ultimate memory solutions for innovations like quantum computers which could include cryogenic-DRAM-based memory systems.
Figure 2. SK hynix’s HBM3 leverages 4th generation technology
combined with multiple vertically connected chips
Global Satellite Internet
The private space race is expanding access to the internet into low-income and rural areas, with companies like SpaceX and OneWeb investing heavily in building networks of cost-efficient LEO (Low Earth orbit) satellites. The technology boasts a variety of other benefits, including higher power signals, precisely timed 3-D positioning, and protection from interference caused by space phenomena such as solar storms. Additional LEO-satellite networks will help create increased internet access and more opportunities for residents of peripheral communities to contribute to the global digital economy.
Figure 3. LEO satellites work together with radio telescopes to connect people around the world
Digital Twin Technology
Digital twin technology will be a linchpin for continued digital transformation in 2022. Allowing companies to visualize and simulate physical products, systems, and even operations in the virtual world dramatically reduces the time and investment required when developing new offerings or optimizing existing ones. No longer will product and system innovations depend on lengthy prototyping processes but instead efficient digital models that will predict both the triumphs and the vulnerabilities of new approaches. Running such intricate modeling software requires dependable memory solutions like SK hynix’s 24Gb DDR5 DRAM to make data transactions faster and less complex, creating flawless digital clones of real-world items.
Figure 4. SK hynix 24Gb DDR5 DRAM has the largest single-chip density in the industry
The Metaverse
This 2021 buzzword is set to launch mixed reality offerings like AR and VR into entirely new realms. Essentially a digital-reality playground, the metaverse presents new opportunities for society to community build and connect regardless of geographic constraints. A network of 3D worlds fostering social connections online, the metaverse will change the way we interact on the world wide web. Reclining in your lounge chair while porting one of the latest VR headsets is now a ticket to countless new adventures. Some metaverse-accessing VR hardware intends to upgrade to include eye-tracking and foveated rendering for a truly out-of-this-world experience. While some similarities can be drawn between earlier open-world, role-playing games and the metaverse, this latest iteration marks only the beginning of what this new online world has to offer.
As always, SK hynix is prepared to respond to the ever-evolving needs of the industry and the next-generation tech trends, including the metaverse. In December 2021, SK hynix closed the first phase of its acquisition of Intel’s NAND and SSD business, further strengthening its server and data-center-oriented solution capabilities and becoming a major growth engine for the semiconductor memory industry. Furthermore, at CES 2022 SK hynix, SK Square, and SK Telecom announced the launch of the SK ICT Alliance, offering the first of many opportunities to share its meaningful innovations and demonstrate an appetite to fulfill the needs of a rapidly expanding ICT industry.
Figure 5. Park Jung-ho, Vice Chairman and co-CEO of SK hynix announced
the establishment of the SK ICT Alliance at CES 2022
As the tech sector continues to grow in 2022, so does the semiconductor memory industry. More people are coming online, digital offerings are becoming more sophisticated, and the volume of data remains ever-expanding, all of which raise the expectations on semiconductor memory performance.
SK hynix continues to break ground with the kind of meaningful semiconductor R&D across DRAM, NAND Flash, and more that transformed these 2022 tech trends from a dream to a reality.
