The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Monday unveiled its report on the top 10 emerging technologies of 2023, showcasing 10 groundbreaking technologies poised to deliver significant social and economic advantages.

"For more than a decade, the Forum has been surveying academics, industry leaders and futurists on the emerging technologies set to transform economies and societies," wrote Jeremy Jurgens, managing director of the WEF, on the preface of a report detailing the 10 technologies.

1. Flexible batteries

Curved screens are now normal for gadget lovers, as they are often seen on high-end and even mid-range smartphones.

But flexible batteries are still quite new in this field, which will greatly enhance the application scenarios of gadgets – especially wearables.

2. Generative AI

It's a waste of words writing about the great changes generative AI programs like ChatGPT have brought to the world.

Some say AI is a bubble like VR and the metaverse, while others are busy making big money with it.

3. Sustainable aviation fuel

"While the use of electric vehicles for ground transport is rapidly increasing, the aviation sector has struggled with decarbonization," said the report. "Because energy-dense fuels are required for long-distance flights."

Though sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) only has less than one percent of the global jet fuel market, the report said the situation will get better with more SAF production facilities being built.

4. Designer phages

Viruses are considered bad because they infect our bodies and cause diseases.

But what if we can design viruses that do good things to us? Designer phages are viruses that selectively infect specific types of bacteria in our bodies to cure diseases.

Turning our enemies into allies. How great is that?

5. Metaverse for mental health

Metaverse and multiplayer video games can be helpful in the treatment of mental diseases, and the post-COVID-19 world needs them to resolve the mental health crisis, the report said.

Of course, these tools must be used in a proper way.

6. Wearable plant sensors

Humans are not the only users of wearable gadgets.

You may have heard a lot of stories about sensors planted in endangered animals to help with their survival. But it turns out the sensors can also be planted in plants to "improve plant health and increase agricultural productivity," according to the report.

7. Spatial omics

This new technology can help researchers uncover more life mysteries.

By combining "advanced imaging techniques" with "the specificity and resolution of DNA sequencing," the reports said, spatial omics can map out biological processes at extremely high resolution, even at the molecular level.

This will help us see – and hopefully understand – more biological processes occurring in humans and other species.

8. Flexible neural electronics

We have been controlling electronic gadgets through keyboards and mouses, touchscreens and voice. And flexible neural electronics will help us skip those tools and control devices directly with our minds.

With this technology, the human-machine interface will become more natural than ever before. One step forward, we could even communicate with each other at a much faster speed.

9. Sustainable computing

The natural clouds are beautiful. But our computer cloud is an electricity-eating monster that also produces a large amount of heat.

Datacenters are the basic infrastructure for our network, which is as critical as factories to industries. It will be almost impossible to live without them in the future.

So, we must find ways to make datacenters environmentally friendly.

10. AI-facilitated healthcare

AI will not replace doctors, but it can provide great help to accelerate doctors' work by providing suggestions.

Sometimes, the AI programs can spot critical details on a CT image that doctors happen to ignore.

As COVID-19 highlighted the need to build more reliable health systems, AI is an important approach to tackling the long waiting queues.

(Graphics by Yu Peng.)