At the end of 2018, Gartner unveiled its annual analysis of strategic technological trends for 2019; we can be sure that these characteristics, which are already very real for some of them, will follow us well beyond this year… In short, the imminent future (or the present?) of technology is broadly articulated around 3 characteristics, and 2 transversal foundations:

Features

Intelligence

Artificial intelligence will underpin all existing technologies and even create entirely new categories. The presence of AI in this list is not a surprise, but what is emerging more and more is on the one hand the combination of AI with other disruptive technologies to accelerate them or even create new ones, and on the other hand the democratization of AI that is gradually infusing the technological world in its every corner. Moreover, AI allows humans and robots to interact in an increasingly natural way, which leads to a faster adoption of new technological solutions by humans, as well as an increasing adaptability to the environment by robots.

The fusion of the digital and the real

Digital and physical worlds merge to create an immersive world. While the greatest demand for virtual technologies initially came from the creative economy industries – particularly gaming, live events, video entertainment and retail – it has since found broader applications in sectors as diverse as healthcare, education, military and real estate. We are on the cusp of a major revolution that will take us from mobile, to immersive technology.

The mesh

connections are multiplying and being exploited, between sets of people, companies, devices, content and services. Even if the Blockchain is still in its infancy, it is an accelerating technology that will bring security and traceability to many sectors. Also, different technologies are becoming more and more interoperable, allowing these connections to be made, and thus creating new connected sets, new ecosystems, new customer journeys.

Foundations

Ethics and privacy

Digital ethics and privacy are growing concerns for individuals, organizations and governments. Consumers are increasingly aware that their personal information is valuable and requires control. Organizations are recognizing the growing need to secure and manage personal data, and governments are implementing strict legislation to ensure this is taken into account. Beware of the backlash from customers if this issue is not taken into account…

The hyper-power of Quantum Computing

The hyper-computing power of Quantum Computing, the ability to execute tasks in parallel, and the exponential scalability of Quantum Computers, allow them to excel in solving problems that are too complex for a traditional approach, or where a traditional algorithm would take too long to find a solution. Specific applications could include machine learning, routing optimization, image analysis, biochemistry and drug discovery, or materials science, among others. CQ is still an emerging technology, but that is expected to change dramatically by 2028, both technologically and architecturally and algorithmically.

Click here to read our other articles.

GET THE LATEST INSIGHTS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Don’t miss the new analyses of our experts.