Deloitte Anticipates More AI Regulations in 2022

Deloitte is gazing into its crystal ball with the release of its Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) 2022 Predictions report. The TMT report details what Deloitte believes are likely to be the biggest trends in the tech industry in the coming year, covering everything from hiring policies to consumer electronics.

The biggest takeaway may be Deloitte’s breakdown of the AI regulatory environment. Many jurisdictions (including the European Union) have introduced bills that would regulate various AI technologies, and some have even considered wholesale bans of select AI applications, such as facial recognition in public spaces. Deloitte is not expecting most of those bills to become law until 2023, but does believe 2022 will lay the groundwork for that legislation. In that regard, the company suggested that the discussion of AI regulation will intensify in the coming year.

The increased use of Al will also generate more interest in technologies that can protect the data that is used in AI applications. Deloitte placed a particular emphasis on homomorphic encryption and federated learning solutions, arguing that the market for the two technologies will exceed $250 million by the end of 2022, on its way to $500 million in 2025.

“AI has tremendous promise, but we’re likely to see more scrutiny in 2022 as regulators look to better understand the privacy and data security implications of emerging AI applications, and implement strategies to protect consumers,” said Deloitte Vice Chair Paul Silverglate. “What’s needed is a holistic approach to address ethical responsibility; companies that take this approach can expect greater acceptance, more trust and increased revenue.”

In other news, Deloitte argued that COVID-19 will continue to drive digital transformation all over the world. That will create an increased demand for connected devices, which will in turn be responsible for an anticipated chip shortage as equipment manufacturers struggle to keep pace. However, Deloitte suggested that the chip shortage will not be as bad in 2022 as it was in 2021, and that some types of chips may be more readily available than others.

Wi-Fi 6 devices are expected to outsell 5G devices in 2022, with the mobile tech industry shipping 2.5 billion of the former and only 1.5 billion of the latter in the next 12 months. Deloitte also believes that the smartphone industry will take steps to make mobile communication more sustainable, primarily by offering better app support for older handsets to extend the lifespan of those devices.

–

December 3, 2021 – by Eric Weiss