KOLKATA: The next one billion Internet users are likely to come from countries that speak and write in languages other than English, putting in focus the need to develop a more inclusive and multilingual online space for individuals and organisations, experts said.

Two global organisations -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) -- have been working to make the Internet more unified that supports a broad range of languages and scripts, they said.

The first major step of this objective is the Universal Acceptance of Internet (commonly referred to as 'UA'). "It is a technical requirement that ensures all valid domain names and e-mail addresses can be used by all Internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems," UA Ambassador Sushanta Sinha told PTI.

ICANN and UASG are observing the Universal Acceptance Day on March 28, seeking participation from the global Internet community.

Nearly 50 UA Day events are expected to be held in more than 40 different countries, Sinha, a top IT professional who is also a patron of the Computer Society of India, said.

A similar event is scheduled in Kolkata on March 21, where stakeholders, including government officials, will discuss and deliberate on a multilingual Internet, he said.

"There are currently around five billion Internet users, and at least one billion more are expected to come online. Most of these potential new users live in countries that do not speak and write in English. Achieving UA ensures everybody has the ability to experience the full social and economic power of the Internet using their chosen domain name and email address, which best aligns with their interests, business, culture, language, and script," Sinha said.

He explained that for instance when universalisation is achieved, "you want to go to anandabazar.com, you need not type the domain name in the Latin script, but can type it in the Bengali script and can go the same website."

According to data, only about a third of the world population uses the Latin alphabet, while there are billions of other people who prefer to read and write in Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Devanagari and other scripts, he said.

This means so many people around the world are bereft of experiencing the full benefits of the Internet, simply because they are unable to use a domain name or email address in their language and script of choice, said Sinha.

Sinha said the multilingual nature of Internet can open up a host of possibilites apart from just access to the web, like boosting digital security by way of enhancing spam filters and email tracing, simplifying government services in rural areas and promoting language and culture.

Elaborating on the purpose of the UA Day, ICANN interim president and CEO Sally Costerton said: "It will create awareness of UA and provide the tools needed to ensure that all Internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems work with all valid domain names and email addresses. UA Day has been met with enthusiasm from multi-stakeholders worldwide," said UASG Chair Ajay Data.

Explaining the immediate need for UA, Sinha said a couple of years back, the 'bharat' domain was available in 22 Indian languages, but not all online portals are primed for the opening of a user account with a related email address.

"Many systems do not recognise or appropriately process new domain names and e-mail addresses. The challenge is not only limited to the creation of content in multiple languages, but to accept, validate, store, process and display it through any platform, application or device," he added.

If there was any doubt, the launch of GPT-4, ChatGPT’s successor, has established, once and for all, that 2023 will be the definitive year for generative AI. Though the distinction between OpenAI’s GPT-4 and its predecessor GPT-3.5 is subtle, and the improvement more iterative, GPT-4 surpasses ChatGPT in its advanced reasoning capabilities.

Last month, both Microsoft and Google announced an evolution of search experiences. Google has Bard, an AI-powered chatbot that can answer queries in a conversational way, and Microsoft announced the next-generation of Bing and Edge powered by GPT-4. Bing is currently available in a limited preview.

Transcending enterprise applications, GPT-4 and other AI systems—Google will offer developers access to one of its most advanced AI language models, PaLM—will now push for more consumer apps and services that offer content creation, low-code solutions for office workers, as well as knowledge and information processing solutions for businesses.

OpenAI will also partner with a number of companies to integrate GPT-4 into their products, including Duolingo and Khan Academy. Some early case studies include payment platform Stripe leveraging GPT-4 to streamline user experience and combat fraud, and Morgan Stanley wealth management deploying it to organise its vast knowledge base.

Later this year, Google will offer a bunch of generative AI features for its various Workspace apps, including Google Docs, Gmail, Sheets and Slides. The features will include new ways to generate, summarise and brainstorm text in Google Docs and the ability to produce AI imagery, audio and video to illustrate presentations in Slides. Microsoft too is building similar features into its Microsoft 365 suite, including Word, Teams and Outlook. The company is also looking to bundle its AI-powered search experience into the Windows 11 operating system.

Games People Play

While the metaverse ambitions in enterprises look like a distant dream, the gaming community may soon get to indulge in unprecedented virtual and mixed-reality experiences. From a niche audience of early adopters and technology enthusiasts, immersive and portable gaming will become mainstream. One of the reasons would be Apple’s VR incursion this year—the company’s first foray into virtual reality will not only raise the stakes among the competition, but also drive large-scale adoption in a way that only Apple can enable. Sony’s long-awaited PlayStation VR 2 promises a more immersive experience, thanks to its much-improved tracking and new sensory features. The brand has confirmed over 20 games at launch, offering a mix of first-party and third-party games. Mark Zuckerberg has also confirmed that the Meta Quest 3 will launch later this year, and will get an enhanced mixed reality feature—Meta Reality. The third-generation VR headset could be the best to hit the shelves by retaining the affordable price point of its predecessor.

Bring into the Fold

Even though innovation in smartphones is reaching a plateau, the brands are stretching the camera prowess to achieve incredible results. But what’s really making news this year are the foldable phones. A 2022 report from Counterpoint Research predicted that the global foldable phones market is expected to grow to 26 million units this year. While Pixel foldable is the most-anticipated, OPPO too has thrown its hat in the ring with Find N2 Flip. Also, expect the Samsung foldables later this year to shake things up significantly. The brand recently launched its Galaxy S23 series—the most accessible and marquee flagship smartphone. It’s an iterative update, but could end up being the best-selling Android phone in the market. The likes of Xiaomi and Vivo too are pushing the envelope with Xiaomi 13 Pro and the Vivo X90 Pro, as they aim to up the ante in the photography department with their partnership with Leica and ZEISS, respectively. The smartphone market in India is already moving from being volume-driven to value-driven. While Redmi, Xiaomi’s sub-brand, and Realme will continue to fight it out in the affordable segment, everyone from Xiaomi, Vivo, iQOO, OPPO, OnePlus to Google and Samsung will put out delightful devices in the broad range from Rs 30,000 to six-figure price-stickers.With Apple’s greater focus on Indian market, iPhone 14 could emerge as the top-selling model, considering iPhone 15 will be launched later this year.

Health Watch

Gone are the days of tracking water intake, calories, and steps via wearables. People are now looking for customised fitness solutions akin to a personal trainer. The health ecosystem will also evolve as doctors and medical practitioners warm up to data from wearables (sleep cycles, heart rate monitoring etc.) and medical-grade thingamajigs (like the one used for a sleep study) to aid diagnosis and keep a tab on patients with chronic conditions. Online platforms offering mental health services, including therapy, and sexual wellness consultations are set to thrive, with platforms such as Allo Health, Kindly and Man Matters already offering full-stack solutions in India.