• by Chuck Martin , February 14, 2018

Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are among the trends projected to disrupt business over the next three years.

They are among the five most significant technology trends identified by Accenture in its annual Technology Vision report.

The study comprised a survey of 6,500 executives worldwide conducted by Accenture Labs and Accenture Research. It also included a global online survey of 6,300 business and technology executives in 25 countries. These are the five trends identified:

• Raising AI to benefit business and society – The majority (81%) of executives said that within the next two years, artificial intelligence will work next to humans in their organizations as co-worker, collaborator and trusted advisor.
• Extended reality, the end of distance –  Four in five executives believe it will be important to leverage virtual and augmented reality to close the gap of physical distance when engaging with customers and employees.
• Data veracity, the importance of trust – Most (82%) executives say their organizations are increasingly using data to drive critical and automated decision-making, but inaccurate and manipulated information threatens to compromise insights.
• Internet of thinking, creating intelligent systems – With AI, robotics and immersive experiences, companies must extend computing beyond the cloud.
• Frictionless business, built to partner at scale – Half of executives are planning active research into how they can leverage blockchain technology within the next five years.

More than four in five (84%) executives said that through technology, companies are weaving themselves seamlessly into how people live today.

“Technology is now firmly embedded throughout our everyday lives and is reshaping large parts of society,” stated Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology and innovation officer. “Just as cities developed around ports and then railroads, or people rebuilt their lives around electricity, the world today is reimagining itself around digital innovation – and, by extension, the companies that provide those services. This requires a new type of relationship, built on trust and the sharing of large amounts of personal information.”