What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
It is now largely accepted wisdom that generative AI is going to be the direction of travel in tech and so it shouldn't surprise anyone that Gartner's predictions for the IT industry in 2024 and beyond are dominated by GenAI and how that will change the landscape.
"GenAI presents an opportunity to accomplish things never before possible in the scope of human existence," said Daryl Plummer, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner.
"CIOs and executive leaders will embrace the risks of using GenAI so they can reap the unprecedented benefits.
Leigh McMullen, another distinguished VP analyst at Gartner also added that since this is the first full year with GenAI at the heart of every strategic decision, every other technology-driven innovation has been pushed out of the spotlight.
"GenAI has broken the mold and has kept building more excitement."
Read on for the top 10 IT trends that Gartner analysts presented during Gartner's IT Symposium/Xpo.
What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
1. Productivity value of AI
Analysts say that by 2027, the productivity value of AI will be recognised as a primary economic indicator of national power.
National governments continue to strengthen their commitment to AI and prioritise strategies and plans that recognise AI as a key technology in both private and public sectors.
Incorporating AI into long-term national planning is being reinforced through the implementation of corresponding legislation to bolster AI initiatives.
"Implementation at a national level will solidify AI as a catalyst for enhancing productivity to boost the digital economy," said Plummer.
"Successful implementation of large-scale AI initiatives necessitates the support and collaboration of diverse stakeholders, showcasing the mobilisation and convening ability of national resources."
What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
2. GenAI tools will reduce modernising costs
By 2027, GenAI tools will be used to explain legacy business applications and create appropriate replacements, reducing modernisation costs by 70 per cent.
"The maturity of large language models (LLMs) offers an opportunity for CIOs to find credible and long-awaited mechanism for modernising legacy business applications in a cost-effective manner," continued Plummer.
"CIOs can create dedicated testing units to test the output generated by GenAI LLMs, while establishing change management and upskilling processes to enable the workforce to maximise productivity throughout the modernisation cycle."
What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
3. Enterprise spending on malinformation will surpass $30bn
Gartner analysts think the enterprise spending on malinformation will be over $30bn and will be cannibalising 10 per cent of marketing and cybersecurity budgets to combat a multifront threat.
The most effective malinformation influences humans and machines' decision-making mechanisms and can be extremely hard to detect and shut down.
Gartner explained malinformation presents threats across three disparate functional areas: cybersecurity, marketing and AI.
"The rapid rise of GenAI has put fire under the feet of regulators about including malinformation as one of the risks associated with the increasing power and availability of GenAI to bad actors," said Plummer.
"Enterprises who maintain a close watch on bad actors, regulators and providers of tools and technology that help combat malinformation are likely to gain significant advantage over competitors."
Read on to find out how Gartner expects the role of CISOs to change and how spending will evolve
4. CISOs to expand their remit beyond cybersecurity
Due to increasing regulatory pressure and attack surface expansion, Gartner predicts that 45 per cent of CISOs will be expanding remit beyond cybersecurity.
Responsibilities for security management and digital assets are fragmented across multiple divisions and teams, with the CISO overseeing the overall digital asset portfolio.
This creates inconsistencies in support for regulatory disclosures, assurance of digital security and effective management of security incidents, reducing the overall performance of the organisation.
Gartner analysts, therefore, claim that expanding the portfolio of the CISO will enable a unification of security management, providing oversight of the consolidated security incident management process throughout the organisation.
What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
5. Unionisation will increase by 1,000 per cent
The adoption of GenAI is also set to trigger an increase in unionisation among knowledge workers by 1,000 per cent by 2028.
Gartner reported that executives are quick to call out AI as a cause of positions being eliminated.
The research organisation claimed it is important for executive leaders to communicate clearly with their employees their intent for internal AI deployments.
This should avoid the unintended consequences of AI anxiety building among staff. Organisations that adopt GenAI and fail to clearly address AI anxiety amongst their knowledge workers are though to experience 20 per cent higher rates of turnover.
"Organisations should focus their AI efforts on worker augmentation to improve productivity and quality of work, rather than role automation," said Plummer.
"Stay grounded in what the technology can and cannot deliver, because there remains a substantial amount of hype influencing board expectations."
What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
6. Digital charisma filters to become new tool for career progression
In 2026, 30 per cent of workers will leverage digital charisma filters to achieve previously unattainable advances in their career, according to Gartner.
A digital charisma filter prompts and sifts communications to make them more socially effective in various situations.
They nudge before, during and after interactions to make leaders and co-workers more effective in the social circumstances where they wish to excel.
Digital charisma filters will improve organisations' abilities to expand hiring to include more diverse workers.
Plummer explained: "Organizations can expand their talent pool by incorporating the use of digital charisma filter assistants to improve the congruency of interactions at all phases of recruiting and employment."
"Accelerate access to digital charisma assistants by pressing enterprise productivity and application vendors on how they are incorporating these capabilities into their roadmaps."
Read on to find out about trends in recruitment and smart workforces
What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
7. Recruitment of neurodivergent talent will rise
By 2027, Gartner analysts predict 25 per cent of Fortune 500 companies will actively recruit neurodivergent talent across conditions like autism, ADHD and dyslexia to improve business performance.
"Organisations that hire and retain neurodivergent talent will experience increased employee engagement, productivity and innovation across the workforce," said Plummer.
Fortune 500 companies are already investing in neurodiversity hiring programmes and are seeing impacts on engagement and business outcomes.
Organisations need to establish an outreach programme to boost the discoverability of neurodiverse talent.
Fast-track efforts by leveraging best practices from experts and lessons from leading organisations already working on neurodiversity.
"Include neurodivergent people in company leadership positions," said Plummer.
"Having openly neurodivergent leadership fosters a culture of inclusion and can be the most valuable action to take from the perspective of neurodivergent employees."
Through 2026, 30 per cent of large companies will have a dedicated business unit or sales channels to access fast-growing machine customer markets.
What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
8. Machine customers will require dedicated sales channels
Machine customers will force a reshaping of key functions such as supply chain, sales, marketing, customer service, digital commerce and customer experience.
In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2025, more than 25 per cent of sales and service centres in large organisations will be fielding calls from machine customers.
"Machine customers will need their own sales and service channels because they make transactions at high speeds and the volume of decision variables, they use far exceed human capabilities," said Plummer.
"Machine customers will require different talent, skills and processes that may not exist in a human-customer focused division."
What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
9. Smart robots to take over frontline workers
By 2028, there will be more smart robots than frontline workers in manufacturing, retail and logistics due to labour shortages.
Most manufacturing, retail and logistics companies cannot find or retain enough people to support their day-to-day operations.
According to Gartner analysts, this will cause supply chain organisations to struggle to find enough front-line workers over the next decade. Robots will help fill this gap.
A December 2022 Gartner survey found that 96 per cent of supply chain technology firms have either deployed or plan to deploy cyber-physical automation and 35 per cent have already deployed robots, with 61 per cent piloting or in the middle of their first implementation.
"Robotic technology is advancing rapidly, making robots viable for a growing number of front-line jobs from the factory floor to the warehouse to the retail store and beyond," said Plummer.
What are the top 10 IT trends for 2024 and beyond?
GenAI dominates Gartner’s predictions of IT market trends shaping the future
10. Electricity rationing to cause disruptions
By 2026, Gartner says 50 per cent of G20 members will experience monthly electricity rationing, turning energy-aware operations into either a competitive advantage or a major failure risk.
Aging grid infrastructures are limiting the ability to add electricity generating capacity, yet demand for electricity continues to increase.
Enterprises are assessing energy price and accessibility, which means stable access to electricity for customers will become a competitive advantage.
Because of this, analysts believe executive leaders are creating energy-aware operations through optimisation and direct investment in energy generation.
"Leverage energy efficiency to establish long-term competitive advantage by structurally reducing energy consumptions," said Plummer.
"Assess enterprise investment by including current and future anticipated costs of energy."