Get ready for the annual insights from TechNode Content Team! The year 2023 can be considered a groundbreaking year in the technology field. As wrapping up this year, we gathered different insights from our content team. We’ll present nine Q&As, with timely updates every Wednesday and Friday in the following weeks!
Today, our Q&A comes from Zinan Zhang, Social Media Editor at TechNode. Zinan Mainly focuses on AI, E-commerce, and Social Media.
1. Which company has impressed you the most in 2023?
The company that has impressed me the most this year is Huawei. Whether it’s their innovations in the smartphone industry or their entry into the automotive market and the development of the HarmonyOS, every piece of news about Huawei has left me in awe of their progress. In the short six months since my return to China, I have truly experienced the powerful counterattack of Huawei. From technological innovations to a market comeback, Huawei has indeed demonstrated formidable industry influence.
2. Which company has surprised you the most in 2023?
The most unexpected company for me is Luckin Coffee. I didn’t anticipate Luckin Coffee and Moutai collaborating to create an alcoholic coffee, but the product became extremely popular upon its launch. The joint venture and marketing were highly successful. The online community also showed a strong reaction to the popularity of this Sauce latte, sparking several waves of discussions on social media platforms.
3. Which industry professional/entrepreneur/startup founder has left the most profound impression on you in 2023?
The entrepreneur who has left a deep impression on me is Elon Musk. Since he renamed Twitter to “X” in May, every time I log in and refresh Twitter, his tweets consistently make headlines on the front page. As a highly skilled marketer and visionary genius of the future, his tweets cover innovative technology and various humorous memes. They are a bit eccentric but incredibly interesting.
4. What is the most memorable overseas event for you in 2023?
The overseas event that left the deepest impression on me this year was the months-long Hollywood screenwriters’ strike. Although this strike initially appeared to be a large-scale movement within the entertainment industry, its core issues were closely related to AI. Aside from the impact brought by streaming platforms, AI, especially AIGC, significantly affected the rights of most screenwriters. During my visit to the United States in May, I witnessed the immense scale of this strike firsthand. It made me acutely aware of the profound influence that AI has on creative industry professionals. In the wave of technological advancement, finding a balance between technological progress and the rights of creators may become a crucial issue for many creative industries and related professionals.
5. If you were to recommend one significant industry trend for everyone to follow, what would it be?
The significant industry trend that I would like to highlight is the revival of Aito. It’s truly not easy; it involves both strength and luck.
6. What industry buzzword have you encountered the most in 2023?
From a media perspective, the industry buzzword I encountered the most this year is AIGC. In 2023, AI-related news constantly emerged and became a widely discussed topic on social networks. For workers in social media, every day of my work involves encountering and using AI.
7. Which phrase or sentence best summarizes your perspective on the field you’ve been following in 2023?
For 2023, one could summarize the technology industry as reaching a white-hot stage. As a social media operator, we pay attention to various fields within the technology industry every day. This year, every sector of the technology industry has been exceptionally active, witnessing many groundbreaking advancements, as well as some notable dramatic events and eye-catching innovations.
8. What product/company/technology/industry are you most looking forward to next year?
Next year, what I am most looking forward to is the smart home industry. I have great expectations for how technology can be cleverly integrated into people’s daily lives. With the increasing prevalence of smart technology, I also hope to experience more convenient and efficient smart home products.
9. Do you believe AI has the potential to threaten humanity?
I believe technology is neutral, and the key lies in the humans who use it. AI needs to be appropriately regulated and supervised to achieve peaceful coexistence with humans.
