AI Leads the Way in Gartner’s Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the driving force behind many of the top 10 strategic technology trends identified by Gartner for 2024. These trends reflect the increasing role and impact of AI in various domains and applications, as well as the need to ensure its trustworthiness, security, and sustainability.

According to Gartner, the top 10 strategic technology trends for 2024 are:

• Democratized Generative AI: The use of pre-trained models, cloud computing, and open source to enable anyone to create and use AI-generated content and data.
• AI Trust, Risk, and Security Management: The application of tools and practices to ensure the quality, reliability, and safety of AI systems and outcomes.
• AI-Augmented Development: The integration of AI capabilities into the software development process, such as code generation, testing, and debugging.
• Intelligent Applications: The enhancement of existing applications with AI features, such as natural language processing, computer vision, and recommendation systems.
• Augmented-Connected Workforce: The combination of augmented reality, virtual reality, and 5G to enable remote and immersive collaboration and communication.
• Machine Customers: The emergence of autonomous and intelligent machines as customers and partners of businesses, such as drones, robots, and smart devices.
• Continuous Threat Exposure Management: The adoption of proactive and automated approaches to detect and respond to cyber threats, such as zero trust, XDR, and SOAR.
• Sustainable Technology: The development and use of technology that minimizes the environmental and social impact of digital activities, such as green IT, circular economy, and digital ethics.
• Platform Engineering: The design and implementation of platforms that enable the delivery and consumption of digital products and services, such as APIs, microservices, and containers.
• Industry Cloud Platforms: The creation and use of cloud platforms that cater to the specific needs and challenges of different industries, such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing.

These trends have significant implications and opportunities for businesses and IT leaders, as they can help them drive innovation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. However, they also pose some challenges and risks, such as the need to manage the complexity, cost, and governance of AI systems, as well as the ethical and social issues related to AI use and impact.

Gartner expects these trends to evolve and mature in the next few years, as the demand and competition for AI solutions increase, and as the technology improves. Some of the future improvements that are possible include more integration and interoperability with other systems and platforms, more automation and intelligence to simplify and streamline the AI tasks, and more personalization and customization to suit the needs and preferences of different users and roles.

AI is the dominant theme in Gartner’s top 10 strategic technology trends for 2024, as it enables and enhances various aspects of digital transformation and innovation. By exploring and adopting these trends, businesses and IT leaders can leverage the power and potential of AI, while also addressing its challenges and risks.