Digital (R)evolution

Chapter 12Looking Ahead: Runway or Precipice?

Executive Summary: Many of the new terms bandied about today are essentially buzzwords. But not everything you see or hear is hype. There are serious challenges ahead, and you must prepare your organization and yourself for handling them effectively. This chapter is basically a list of newer technologies, with advice and suggestions for avoiding missteps.

A Google search for the term “digital transformation” will yield nearly half a million results in less than a second. A search for “artificial intelligence” will generate even more results in about the same fraction of a second. Searching for terms such as “machine learning,” “virtual reality,” “big data,” “robotics,” “predictive analytics,” “blockchain,” and “quantum computing” will yield generally similar results.

If you work in the field of business or technology, you can be certain that people will be asking you for your opinion on the above mentioned terms. My advice is to be prepared. Have simple, easy answers ready—because the questions will be asked, I guarantee you!

With that thought in mind, here are some of the responses I typically give when asked about the latest, greatest developments in tech.

Artificial Intelligence

AI still induces a combination of fear and skepticism in most people. From my perspective as a business executive, only a handful of AI solutions are mature enough to be readily adopted. In other words, AI is highly promising, but it's not ready for ...