For Ettlinger and his team, this vision of the future could become a reality within the next three to five years. Hong Raksmey
Marc Ettlinger, linguistic engineering manager at US tech giant Meta, Facebook’s parent company, shared a bold prediction: the future of technology will not be centred around smartphones, but rather on wearables such as smart glasses.
He explained the shift as he addressed an eager audience of Cambodian tech enthusiasts at the October 20 “Tech Beyond Borders” workshop, organised by DICHI Academy in Phnom Penh.
This change, he explained, will transform the way humans interact with computing systems, marking the next step in the evolution of technology.
Ettlinger reflected on the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and how these developments have already shaped the world people live in.
“We’re already living in an age of AI,” he remarked. “Even before ChatGPT, AI was replacing jobs and influencing the technology landscape in ways we couldn’t have imagined just five years ago.”
He stressed the importance of recognizing that AI is not a futuristic concept but a reality that is already embedded in various industries today.
Ettlinger, one of the four featured speakers at the workshop, elaborated on Meta's current focus in its Reality Labs Division, where they are actively working on smart glasses, virtual reality (VR) headsets and augmented reality (AR) systems.
Ettlinger introduces himself with a short overview of his career, via a Zoom call to young Cambodian tech enthusiasts at a workshop organised by DICHI Academy. Hong Raksmey
He described these developments as the “next generation of operating systems,” moving beyond the era of smartphones to a more immersive and natural interface for human-computer interaction.
He shared his belief that these new devices will make technology more accessible and integrated into daily life.
“The operating system, the computing platform, won’t be a phone anymore. It’ll be your glasses, and the interactions will be completely natural, like using human language or gestures,” he said.
For Ettlinger and his team, this vision of the future could become a reality within the next three to five years.
He noted that the end goal is to have users accessing information and interacting with AI through "ambient computing," supported by wearable devices.
If successful, users may no longer need to pull out their phones to check emails, browse the web or perform other tasks that are now done via handheld devices.
Marc Ettlinger, linguistic engineering manager at Meta, believes that wearables, like glasses, will make technology more accessible and integrated into daily life. Image generated by ChatGPT
Ettlinger also touched on the advancements in chatbot technology, emphasising the rapid progress in voice interaction systems.
“Chatbots are getting very close to passing the Turing test,” he said, referring to the test that determines whether a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour is indistinguishable from that of a human.
He predicted that voice interaction with AI-powered systems will soon become so seamless that people may not realise they are speaking with a chatbot.
As Cambodia prepares to embrace Industry 4.0, events like Tech Beyond Borders will play a vital role in introducing young professionals and students to the latest technological advancements.
Organisers DICHI Academy, which specialises in ICT upskilling, aim to empower the next generation of industry-ready professionals through its short courses in Data Science, Full-Stack Development and AI that will close for applications on 4th Nov. The courses are designed to help give beginners industry-ready skills through the instruction of experts already working in the field.
The full-day seminar provided workshops, as well as hands-on demonstrations, of a range of cutting-edge topics, including AI modelling and full-stack development.
Other industry experts from big tech companies were also on hand to share their insights into the ever-evolving digital landscape.
A young participant takes notes during the workshop session. Hong Raksmey
They emphasised the need for Cambodia’s youth to stay informed about global tech trends and continue building their skills to stay competitive in the international market.
The second speaker of the morning was Socretquuliqaa Lee, machine learning engineer at EKYC Solution Co., Ltd., who demonstrated AI modelling using Google Collab.
His hands-on session empowered attendees with practical tools to enhance their own AI projects, making advanced technologies more accessible to the Cambodian tech community.
In the afternoon, Vitou Phy, software engineer at Indeed, shared his expertise on system architecture, offering a "bird’s eye view" of modern systems.
Sokmesa Khiev, senior full stack developer at OnTheGoSystems, concluded the day with a full-stack demo, showing participants how to build applications from start to finish, further cementing the event’s focus on practical and scalable solutions.
