As an innovation leader, you should look for the right technologies to consider as options for the coming new year.
According to the recently published Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, the report details trends in emerging technologies that are becoming a reality. It found that these technologies are likely to impact the competitive advantage of organizations over the next 5 to 10 years.
Brian Burke, Vice President of Research at Gartner, stated that deciding which emerging technologies to adopt in your organization is not easy and can vary significantly between organizations.
“Each of these emerging technologies is advancing at a different pace, and each has diverse applications. Technology leaders need to identify which technologies are sufficiently mature to apply to their specific use cases.”
Burke also noted that everything depends on your business needs. If a technology can be applied in alignment with your business objectives, it becomes a worthwhile investment.
Here are five emerging technologies to watch, along with examples of their applications:
1. Sensing and Mobility
“Sensing and mobility might seem very different, but they are closely related, because sensing is essential for mobility,” Burke explained.
Organizations considering sensing and mobility technologies should first identify their specific use cases, such as 3D sensing cameras, cloud-based AR, lightweight delivery drones, or autonomous vehicles. All of these are technologies currently trending.
2. Virtual Human Technologies
The report identifies emerging technologies in the area of virtual humans, including biochips, identity verification, AI-human collaboration, AI-driven emotion recognition, virtual workspaces, and biotechnology.
Burke added, “When we talk about virtual humans, we are referring to creating impactful experiences for people, whether through virtual workspaces that allow you to work from anywhere, or practical applications like prosthetic limbs.”
3. Post-Classical Computing and Communications
Burke explained that classical computing and communication technologies of the past 30 years were largely defined by Moore’s Law.
“Post-classical computing and communications involve applying foundational technologies in entirely different ways, changing the processes of computing and communication.”
An example is low-earth orbit satellites, which provide global connectivity, particularly in underserved areas.
Organizations should consider post-classical computing and communications if they are using technologies such as 5G, next-generation memory, low-earth orbit satellite systems, and nanoscale 3D printing.
4. Digital Ecosystems
Burke noted, “We have had ecosystems since the early days of business, but digital ecosystems focus on how digital technologies reduce friction and barriers in business ecosystems.”
In addition to enabling more digital interaction and reducing barriers, these ecosystems are increasingly decentralized, allowing users to control their own data and reducing the power of major internet companies.
Examples of digital ecosystem technologies include DigitalOps, knowledge graphs, synthetic data, decentralized web, and decentralized autonomous organizations.
5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Advanced Analytics
“AI is a pervasive trend,” Burke said. “It is spreading not only within organizations but also broadly across industries.”
The report highlights key AI applications such as adaptive machine learning, edge AI, edge analytics, explainable AI, AI platforms as a service (PaaS), transfer learning, generative adversarial networks (GANs), and graph analytics.
Burke emphasized, “We are seeing major advances in AI algorithms, both in how AI is applied and in how AI democratizes access. It’s no longer just about the big tech companies—these technologies are now available to general organizations.”
