Visions for the future: The tech breakthrough of 2017

There have been plenty of tech breakthroughs in the past year. Now take a look at some of the major ones.

• 5G network technology was unveiled in 2017 and will be put in place around 2020. The new technology will be able to move data as much as a hundred times faster than 4G networks that are in use today. It will open up countless possibilities, such as driverless cars that used to just be in the realm of science fiction movies.

• Gravitational waves, a kind of cosmic ripple, were observed by humans for the first time last year, 40 years after confirmation that they existed. Scientists described the breakthrough as a "talking movie" by the cosmos, marking a new era for astronomy.

• The AlphaGo artificial intelligence computer taught itself the board game "Go" in 40 days. And without any additional instructions, the robot defeated the best challengers humanity could muster, showing the heights that AI can reach in helping people with difficult tasks.

The impact of these rising technologies on ordinary people’s lives is yet to be known. However, we can be sure that they will help to shape our world and future.

(CGTN)