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If pundits are right, there will be major developments in quantum computing and AI in 2023 and money will pour into new tech areas such as immortality-as-a-service and digitizing scent.

The year kicked off with a startling claim by Chinese researchers that they have found a way to break the most common form of online encryption using the current generation of quantum computers, years before the technology is expected to pose a threat. If true, the breakthrough in quantum computing would have significant consequences.
Read on to discover more tech predictions for 2023 and the week's most important technology news impacting business.

There’s a lot of uncertainty around what this year has in store. In his 26th exclusive column for The Innovator, Former Cisco Executive Chairman John Chambers, who was widely considered one of the best performing U.S. CEOs during his 25+ year tenure at Cisco, says he believes that 2023 will be a year that requires much agility, with thoughtful action behind every move.
Paying subscribers can read on to discover the four efforts that Chambers thinks leaders should make to move forward with confidence.

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Cybersecurity is an ongoing challenge for large corporates and an even bigger one for small and medium sized corporates that don't have the latest cutting-edge tools and are either not insured or under-insured. By some estimates up to 90% of SMEs have a medium to high cyber risk profile.

That is where Insiber.com comes in. The Amsterdam-based startup is building a cybersecurity platform that facilitates an ecosystem-wide collaboration between SMEs, cybersecurity service providers, cyber insurers, and insurance advisors. By bringing these parties together on one platform, Insiber.com can map a unique set of cybersecurity solutions and relevant insurance policies to each SME, says CEO Guido Van Nispen.

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Annual cost of hiring a digitalized human-like figure composed of animation, sound tech and machine learning. These digital beings, which can sing and interact on a livestream, have been popping up more and more in China’s cyberspace.

Buyers of virtual people in China include financial services companies, local tourism boards and state media, Li Shiyan, who heads Chinese tech company Baidu’s virtual people and robotics business told CNBC.

As the tech improves, costs have dropped by about 80% since last year, he said. It costs about 100,000 yuan ($14,300) a year for a three-dimensional virtual person, and 20,000 yuan for a two-dimensional one. Li said he expects the virtual person industry overall will keep growing by 50% annually through 2025.