The Invention and Application of New Technology

By Brad Heidemann

When you look at technology trends, first there is an invention of new technology, then there is an application of the invention, which is often referred to as the killer app. 

 A few examples, arguably the technology behind building telescopes (lenses) had been known for several hundred years but it wasn’t until 1608 that the first telescopes were invented, it appears that several people simultaneously conceived of the idea. Almost 100 years later Galileo and team decided that they could use the telescope to better understand the universe. Great use of technology but only for a limited number of people. Then someone realized that as a merchant in a port city, you could scan the horizon and see trade ships coming to port earlier than your competitors (the killer application), and then every merchant in every port city was trying to get their hands on a telescope. 

Kodak invented the digital camera in 1975. It was a big clunky device with mediocre resolution. Over the next 30 years, technology improved, and smaller digital cameras were available to a smaller group of photography enthusiasts. We’re all familiar with the story of digital cameras leading to cell phones, which then sparked a wave of innovation. This gave rise to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Flickr, and the momentum continues to build. The killer application for the digital camera was its inclusion on a cellphone, as distribution increased, innovation increased. It’s a simple pattern that happens repeatedly with the inventions of new technology. 

There are more than 1 billion people in the world who use Microsoft office. The Office franchise generated more than $63B in revenue and $29B in profit last year alone. It is arguably one of the most profitable franchises of all time.   

That brings me to ChatGPT – The fastest-growing digital technology, ever! They achieved more than 100 million users in their first couple of months after public release. Previously, it had only available to a handful of enthusiasts who were fortunate to sign up for an account early on.

Last year, Microsoft announced that they are incorporating ChatGPT into the office suite. Not only will this profoundly change the “knowledge worker” experience, but Microsoft will enable more than 1 billion users with the capability of leveraging artificial intelligence in their daily routines.

Think about the evolution of cameras and cell phones—these advancements brought widespread distribution and massive waves of innovation. Exciting times and the killer application are sure to be ahead!