6 most important technology trend predictions for 2023

Deloitte analysts have released their predictions for what they believe will be the most important technology trends in the next 12 months. To do this, they plan on the dynamic industry backdrop in which they work, shaping major trends including machine learning, cloud computing, and blockchain, focusing not only on high-level technology concepts, but also on real-world use cases.

I took the opportunity to review the picks with their chief futurist, Mike Bechtel, to get some insight into why the consulting giant believes they will be influential and impact our lives as we head into 2023. And more than that.

Metaverse

Predicting the impact of the much talked about metaverse on our lives, the Deloitte report focuses on the concept of “Immersive Internet for the Enterprise”.

The real value of metaverses, he suggests, will be the new business models that make them possible. This happens as part of the natural progression that is taking place in the simple ways of the machines. It was a journey that started with punch cards – it required an understanding of advanced mathematics and the fundamentals of computer science to do it right. Iterative advances like desktop icon-driven interfaces and mobile touchscreens have enabled more intuitive interactions, bringing us to where we are now – at the dawn of immersive virtual worlds and experiences.

Bechtel tells me, “What we’re starting to see at Metaverse is that we’re ready for a new phase of the World Wide Web — a new phase of the Internet… think of it as an immersive Internet, perhaps.”

As with early iterations of the Internet, those who participate fall roughly into one of three groups. These are “advertisers” who are really just “calling” the website as a big, new age business card. Then there are the “patchers” who use the technology to add new ways for their customers to interact with them – Bechle uses the example of a food business by adding online menus and ordering on their website. Finally, there are true pioneers. It uses the new technology to bring out completely new business models and products – equivalent to the “hyperscalers” that have grown into the Internet age giant websites.

Artificial Intelligence

A key trend around AI in 2023, Deloitte suggests, will be increasing trust. Specifically, “Learning to Trust Our Robot Companions.”

This sees organizations answering key questions as machines move from “out of control” tasks like spreadsheets into the new realm of cognitive decision-making tasks. Here, Deloitte suggests, businesses and organizations will begin to see their successes or failures based on how open they are to trusting smart, self-learning machines and algorithms.

According to the report, “As algorithms increasingly take on probabilistic tasks such as object detection, speech recognition, and image and text generation, the true impact of AI applications depends on how well their human counterparts understand and agree with what they do.” “

In many ways, achieving the necessary level of trust may depend on the extent to which the AI ​​itself is transparent and explainable. It’s not debatable that technology today has a “black box” problem – we often don’t understand how it works and how it gets to the answers it gives us. Overcoming this could be an important step on the road to developing an AI that everyone can look to as a trusted partner.

Cloud Computing

For many organizations, the focus in the cloud space in 2023 will be firmly on “taming the cloud storm.” This happens as we work to address the complex array of public, private, hybrid and multi-cloud solutions that comprise the average enterprise technology stack. In fact, Deloitte tells us that 85 percent of businesses are using at least two cloud platforms, and 25 percent are using up to five. While this diverse mix of tools and platforms can often result in all the flexibility and options we want, it can also cause businesses to fail to take full advantage of the full benefits available to them and create unnecessary costs.

When I spoke with Mike Bechtel about this trend, he told me he likes to use a similar analogy related to the era of cord cutting away from cable TV services.

“Remember the early days of streaming? The value proposition … I can lower my bill and get most of what I need in this simple new interface. Well, if you think about it… the last ten years of the streaming revolution… you had two streaming services, then four, then eight… it’s confusing and I wish TV was as simple as it used to be… and arbitrage has decreased because the added cost of all these streaming services is getting closer to paying for a bigger cable bill. !”

The solution, according to the Deloitte report, is an “abstraction and automation layer” placed on top of the busy cloud ecosystem, providing an overview in the form of unified dashboards and control panels – a solution sometimes called “supercloud” or “sky computing.” .” This is presented in a manner consistent with the report’s “simplicity as a service” paradigm.

The skill gap

This is an issue that affects businesses in all industries, but none more so than those that rely on in-demand STEM skills. To counter this, a Deloitte report suggests that successful companies seek “flexibility – the best possible”.

This means focusing on nurturing and developing our talent at home, rather than trying to compete on the scarce and expensive supply of foreign tech talent. The talent and creativity needed to drive business success in today’s markets may not, the report suggests, include decades of industry experience and advanced degrees from prestigious colleges in non-tenured appointments. “Don’t compete when you can create” is a piece of advice included in the report, which seems very sensible to me.

After spending so much money on retraining and developing our employees, shouldn’t we be worried that they are being squeezed by competitors? Absolutely not – in fact, we should embrace it, because it shows that we are investing in people in the right way. The answer is to simultaneously invest in them and make sure that the work they do is valuable enough that they don’t want to give up easily.

Decentralized systems

Of all the tech trends, blockchain — the decentralized, encrypted database platform that powers cryptocurrencies like bitcoin — probably has the biggest image problem, Bechtel admits. Created anonymously over a decade ago, the most successful use case to date is creating new markets and payment methods for illegal substances on the “dark web”. For many, this means it’s difficult to understand how every enterprise from Silicon Valley to Singapore is investing heavily in the technology. Essentially, the aim of the search is to find ways to eliminate trust in digital transactions involving more than one party. In the year In 2023, we will move to a new level in this search, Deloitte points out, “we believe in it.”

After the first use cases for blockchain established themselves, “we entered this period of adolescence where blockchain presented itself as this shiny hammer to look for a nail,” Bechtel explained to me.

“I can’t tell you how many customers I’ve talked to – ‘We’ve got a pilot, we’ve got a prototype, we’re using it for something’… The problem was when you had a hammer, it was everything. It looks like a nail. It wasn’t driven by technology, it was driven by demand.

In the year An important trend in 2023 will be growing awareness of putting nails first. Bechtel gave me examples of real-world issues that could be solved by implementing distributed and trustless database solutions, such as a government-led initiative to build systems to record evidence for Covid-19 vaccines, as well as a cocoa producer. Africa is looking to eliminate child labor from its supply chain, and its jewelers need to compete with synthetic diamond producers and ensure their own stones are not conflict diamonds.

Modernization of the main frame

Finally, in 2023 – into the era of cloud and mobile computing – we might be surprised to find the word “mainframe” on a list of the hottest, up-to-the-minute technology trends!

But this also sees an ongoing drive to connect older hardware — such as the venerable mainframe platforms of yesteryear — with new technologies. “Instead of ripping out and replacing legacy core systems, businesses are looking to connect with new technologies using innovative connectors so that each family of systems can work best,” the report says.

An example given is the Israeli healthcare provider Meuhedet, which has always worked well with its established mainframe system for recording and storing patient data and has never needed to replace it.

However, very new and emerging technologies such as cloud, web services, machine learning algorithms and Big Dash dashboards can be applied to make the systems more feature-rich, usable and valuable. This is increasingly through AI-powered middleware solutions and microservices. Another example involves BMW’s adoption of Nvidia’s Omniverse platform, which has allowed it to test the efficiency of its legacy manufacturing infrastructure at its UK manufacturing plant and rework it to support the production of electric vehicles.

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