This article primarily discusses the emergence of the iPhone in 2007 and the rise of smartphones, followed by the advent of ChatGPT in 2022, exploring how Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the future.
By learning from history, we can understand the rise and fall of trends, and studying technology involves identifying the constants and changes in industrial development.
1.Smartphone Revolution
The rise of the smartphone has been a fascinating journey. Many successful products initially seemed obscure or were considered mere toys. However, in the consumer market, sustained innovation and the ability to engage users have been key to dominating the market.
Apple’s success with the iPhone wasn’t because it was seen as a toy, but because it redefined how people connect with each other.
The iPhone indeed transformed our interaction with mobile devices, but it wasn’t the pioneer of capacitive touch screen technology. Going back to 1994, the IBM Simon debuted with a stylus-dependent touchscreen.
In 2006, Prada and the South Korean tech giant LG launched the LG Prada, a precursor of finger-friendly touchscreen technology. This device wasn’t just luxurious but also emphasized practicality with its finger-responsive touchscreen.
However, it was Apple that brought this technology to the forefront of public attention.
On January 9, 2007, the first-generation iPhone was officially released. This marked a milestone in smartphone history as it replaced traditional keypad interactions with touchscreen and integrated iPod features.
On June 9, 2008, the second-generation iPhone was launched, introducing 3G network capabilities and the App Store. The combination of iOS, the App Store, and a strong hardware ecosystem, along with powerful processors, established Apple’s stronghold in the smartphone market, a position it maintains to this day.
At that time, the iPhone represented a fundamental shift from the traditional “internet-capable phones” to a “smart device capable of making phone calls,” highlighting a significant departure from past mobile phones.
Apple’s strengths lay in its robust ecosystem, consumer loyalty, and supply chain.
Around 2010, the rise of mobile internet, with smartphones, enhanced connections between people and between people and PCs. However, the internet’s greatest characteristic is not as an insular industry but as a tool transforming other industries, fundamentally differentiating it from other sectors.
Subsequently, many Smartphones based on the Android system emerged. However, due to Android’s fragmentation, sustaining excellence and continuous investment in R&D, or differentiating through product pricing, were necessary for these devices to remain competitive.
Only products that are well-made, continuously innovative, and able to strengthen user loyalty can stand invincible in the market.
2.The Transformation of Industries by Artificial Intelligence
In 2022, the emergence of ChatGPT showcased the potential of LLMs in solving problems and finishing tasks.
As Dr. Lu Qi mentioned in his speech, we can obtain and select information, compute it in our models, turn it into plans, and then implement these plans. The execution part is actually an interaction between our internal and external worlds.
Currently, AI technology has achieved the first step and is at a preliminary level of the second step. The future likely involves transitioning to the third step: capturing external information and evolving models to output inferences and implement plans.
This process will require integration with “automation” tools, which could be autonomous vehicles, robots, household service robots, or cars. LLMs, when combined with specific industries, can reduce conversion costs.
Moreover, LLMs accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological advancements into industrial applications, such as using GPT to empower simulation technologies.
In terms of empowering traditional industries and fundamental drivers of industrial development, AI is transforming the old industrial, scientific research, and production systems.
In the realm of simulation, AI’s role is centered on enhancing modeling, testing, and verification within simulated environments, greatly accelerating workflows and boosting conversion efficiency. This transformative impact of AI extends beyond just materials, encompassing advancements in equipment, robotics, smart vehicles, and various other sectors.
Disruptive technologies can drive a new economic growth curve.
While the mobile internet primarily satisfied consumer-oriented demands, artificial intelligence encompasses all industries, aspects, and stages.
However, AI alone won’t have a significant impact on the world; it needs to evolve in conjunction with other technologies.
This journey may take 5–10 years, but it heralds the advent of a new era.
