50 Key Terms to Understanding the World of Emerging Technologies

1. Algorithms: A set of rules that instruct a computer to perform a specific task. Can also be responsible for the amount of exposure a users has to specific content on the internet 
2. Application Programming Interface (API): Programming that allows different parts of a software to interact with each other. API simplifies coordination of the moving parts of a software system 
3. Artificial Intelligence: Intelligence which is displayed in a machine in order to imitate human-like behavior, such as voice recognition, problem solving, and learning 
4. Augmented Reality/ Virtual Reality: Bridge digital and physical worlds by allowing users to absorb information digitally and take in content visually, i.e. VR headsets 
5. Autonomous Vehicles: vehicles that can operate without human assistance, such as Tesla and Waymo and Uber who are competing to release the first to market 
6. Back End: the “behind the scenes” aspects of a website that make the website run. These aspects are not apparent to the user and involve web servers and databases. 
7. Big Data: A cluster of data that is so large that processing it cannot be achieved by traditional software. This data, when interpreted, helps companies identify large scale user patterns in order to market a product or service 
8. Blockchain: A digital receipt that keeps track of transactions in a master record 
9. Business Intelligence (BI): Using of software/ tools to analyze raw data, through methods such as data mining, analysis, and reporting 
10. Cache: temporary storage of information associated with the memory of a web page previously accessed, so that it can be accessed more seamlessly from the cache as opposed to accessing the web server 
11. Cloud: The all encompassing name of the internet servers that store a users applications and files that are not locally kept on their device, allowing them to access these resources from almost any device 
12. Cloud computing: Computing that allows data that is not stored locally on your computer to be dispersed across servers that are accessible through the internet. Examples include Google Drive and Dropbox that allow you to access your data even though it is not stored directly on your computer. 
13. Cloudsourcing: Simply the outsourcing of cloud computing. Companies can pay a cloud service provider to maintain their cloud products and services 
14. Code: allows for communication between machines and humans through assigning classification for specific computing tasks 
15. Cookie– Small file left on a user’s machine by a website, used to track and update the user’s activities while on that website
16. Cyber Security: protects systems and networks from digital attacks 
17. Data Architecture: The way in which data is stored, accessed, collected and then used by a company 
18. Data Mining: The process of investigating large amounts of data in order to use data of user behaviors to market a product/ learn more about a certain user audience 
19. Data Science: The study of data in order to develop ways of interpreting and storing it in a way that can be effectively used to gain insights and knowledge from 
20. Design Thinking: Method of design centered around a user’s thoughts, feelings and reactions in order to design products that optimize the user experience through the insights observed 
21. Domain Service Name (DNS): Converts a name of a domain into a specific IP address that can be recognized by a computer. Allows for a computer to translate the name of a website into an IP address to then connect you to that specific address 
22. Edge Computing: Processing and capturing of data directly from a client without sending data to a centralized place for analysis. The data is interpreted by the device in use or by a local server 
23. Enterprise Architecture: A map of processes and principles that drive the creation and execution of a company’s business strategies 
24. Enterprise Resource Planning: Software and systems used to plan and manage all the supply chain, manufacturing, services, financial and other processes of an organization 
25. Fintech: Financial technology, often associated with startups, which describes the use of technology to deliver financial services and products to consumers such as mobile banking 
26. Front End: Describes all parts of a website that a user interacts with 
27. Governance Risk and Compliance: A company’s approach to improving the effectiveness of their product/ operations and reducing risks through unified efforts 
28. Green Technology: Environmentally responsible innovations of technology such as safety, health, energy efficiency, renewable resources, etc. 
29. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML): The software language used to craft websites. “Hyperlinks” describes the links that may be embedded within the page and “Markup Language” describes the visual elements of the page are presented through the software 
30. Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas): Companies rent servers to compute and store information in the cloud, designed so that users can run anything they want without the maintenance and cost of the hardware 
31. Internet of Things (IoT): Merging “physical and virtual worlds, creating smart environments,” devices which talk to one another via the internet like a garage door opener app on a smartphone 
32. Language: Several different coding languages enable code to be written using a specific syntax and system for a wide range of unique purposes, such as JavaScript, R, Python 
33. Machine Bias: The errors in assumptions made by machines. Bias are often due to problems in the data set being interpreted, leading the machine to draw conclusions that are faulty 
34. Machine Learning: When a program uses patterns and inference to for a machine to figure out a method to complete a task and create its own solution, still with certain limitations and standards, such as Data Labelling
35. Natural Language Processing (NLP): The part of artificial intelligence that concerns interactions between human language and technology. Helps computers interpret and learn language 
36. Net Neutrality: The idea that all internet users should be able to access programs equally and freely without interference from their internet service provider dictating what they can access on the internet 
37. Open Source Software: Type of computer software code that is open to repurposing and changing by the end user and can be changed into new software by the public 
38. Platform as a Service (PaaS): The infrastructure needed to run and operate different types of computer applications, companies often outsource this service so that they do not have to maintain their structural systems 
39. Python: A coding language that can be used for back-end programming, data interpretation and for more than just website development. It allows users to write readable code for an array of purposes 
40. Quantum Computing: Development of technology derived from quantum theory, which looks at how energy and matter interact on an atomic level. Uses qubits (quantum bits) to hold large amounts of data while using minimal energy 
41. Search Engine Optimization: The marketing practice of making a website more likely to be at the top of search results, this is done using algorithms, data from keyword searches and other user data information from search engines. 
42. Software as a Service (SaaS): Cloud software that is accessible through a subscription and is delivered over the internet as a service. Examples include google, netflix, zoom, etc. 
43. URL: Uniform Resource Locator, a web address with a unique string of characters allowing users to access a specific site online 
44. User Interface: How a customer interacts with a product, including the action a user takes and how they interact with the design of the product or service 
45. Virtual Private Network (VPN): Allows for publicly accessible Wi-Fi to be privatized, increasing security. Acts as a shield that protects your data from being accessible when using a public network 
46. Virtual Machine (VM): Uses software instead of physical computers to run programs and deploy applications, allowing for a single piece of hardware to function as multiple computers 
47. Voice Recognition: The taking of spoken language as input into a computer to be interpreted. Software enables translation of spoken language into action by a computer 
48. WiFi: Technology which allows for access to internet wirelessly through signal, meaning without the wires 
49. 3D Printing: The process of printing of a 3D object from a digital file. Can allow for mass production of an item with minimal waste of resources 
50. 5G: 5th generation of mobile network that is designed to improve connectivity of millions devices and machines at extremely fast speeds 

Together, these terms are key to understanding the growing world of emerging tech. No matter your level of tech prowess, use these terms to fuel questions and expand your knowledge of the industry that is changing the world around you.