In an era where digital integration seeps deeper into the crevices of daily life, the evolution of our digital footprint is as inevitable as it is profound. This realm is characterized by a blend of technological innovations and cultural shifts across various domains—identity management, consumer behavior, and entertainment, to name a few.
Identity Management
Every photograph, comment, and online interaction we engage in contributes to a composite persona that encapsulates our presence in the virtual world. And alongside this digital footprint, one’s digital identity stands as the key for an optimal digital experience. Innovations in identity management, such as self-sovereign identities (SSIs) – where one can control their own data- are revolutionizing how these digital personas are protected and personalized, ensuring safer and more targeted digital experiences. In fact, in the last 18 months, the demand for verifiable credentials (a key component of SSIs) has skyrocketed, with the SSIs global market doubling in a year to $1.8 billion in 2024 (year to date), and expected to grow to an astounding $47.1 billion until 2029. Experts suggest that these identities are becoming crucial not only in customizing technologies to cater to individual needs with unprecedented accuracy but also to mitigate cyber risks. Major adoption is being helped by substantial governmental support, particularly in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Smartphone Authentication
Smartphones are playing a crucial role in the authentication process, helping users securely log in, tap to pay, and enter cars, buildings, and airports. As security concerns grow, the need for authentication is likely to consolidate the smartphone’s status as the ultimate goldilocks device. In 2024, the smartphone is expected to have one of its most successful years ever, despite a historically modest sales forecast of 1.26 billion units (several hundred million units short of its all-time peak of 1.57 billion), according to Deloitte. The smartphone’s success will be due in part to the ever-rising value of its five-billion user ecosystem, with authentication becoming an increasingly important addition to the device’s value.
Digital Wallets
In addition, digital wallets are also cementing their position as everyday commerce enablers, both in and out of the store. Juniper Research has found that the total number of unique contactless mobile payment users will reach 1 billion globally by 2024, for the first time. In the USA, the country that leads this market, the total smartphone-based spending is expected to top $1 trillion for the first time, with $688 billion in in-store tap-and-pay transactions and $498 billion in internet-based smartphone retail sales, compared to $7.5 trillion in total retail sales, as per Insider Intelligence. Most consumers will pay with digital wallets, with younger generations driving tap-and-pay. Roughly two-thirds of US smartphone users will use a mobile wallet app to transact monthly, up from about half in 2021. This will also mark the first year that approximately half of Gen Z users will tap-and-pay, following in the footsteps of millennials (63%).
Creative Industries
Other examples of this trend come from particular industries. For instance, in the entertainment industry, the importance of digital identity was highlighted following the resolution of the Hollywood actors’ strike in November 2023, which established new guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in creating digital likenesses. This development has spurred a new economy around digital personas, enabling the creation of digital doubles that offer both celebrities and the public new forms of expression and control over their virtual selves. Influencers, particularly in China, are pioneering the use of AI to produce clones that extend their content production capabilities without the constraints of time. A slew of Chinese startups like Silicon Intelligence and Xiaoice can now create deepfake avatars for as little as $1,000, using just one minute of live original video to generate a digital clone. British AI startup Metaphysic is helping celebrities take control of their virtual personas with a solution in which users build a portfolio of biometric data to create a face, voice, and performance that may be licensed and monetized.
The adoption of Generative AI tools will also affect digital identities in various formats. A notable example of this is OpenAI’s collaboration with Spotify to clone the voices of leading podcasters into different languages, which will democratize content access without language barriers. This advancement in creating synthetic voices is expected to impact voiceover teams in production companies. This easiness is helping the audio entertainment grow as a whole, with world listeners expected to generate approximately $75 billion in revenue, in 2024. This will be a 7% year-on-year increase of around 7% across radio ($42 billion), streaming services ($23 billion), audiobooks ($7 billion) and podcasts ($3.5 billion), according to Deloitte. This signals robust engagement and an evolving landscape for content consumption as per one’s digital identity.