The report is titled “Realizing 2030: A Divided Vision of the Future”. Dell Technologies’ research is based on a survey of some 4,000 business leaders, drawn from seventeen countries. The headline finding is that there are mixed forecasts as to the changing relationship between humans and emerging technologies. This variable forecast extends to 2030.
The research at the heart of the report was carried out by analysts firm Vanson Bourne, with a focus on the way emerging technologies will lead to new types of human partnerships with machines. These are intended to be richer and more immersive than ever.
Workforce and machines will work as integrated teams
The other main findings are that 82 percent of business leaders predict that their workforce and machines will work as integrated teams within the next five years. However, businesses have differing views on the integration of emerging technologies. Around half of those surveyed are of the view that automated systems will free up time. In contrast, the other half of the respondents disagree and do not think there will be time savings.
Another finding of interest is that just over one quarter of respondents think their companies are leading the way in terms of digital transformation of businesses. Despite this growth in digital technology, business leaders remain mindful of the risks.
Cyber risks feature high
In relation to cyber risks, 48 percent of the respondents felt that the more businesses depend upon technology, then the more vulnerable businesses are to a cyber-attack in terms of the potential losses. While this is a sizeable proportion that expressed concern, it stands that 52 percent of the businesses do not share these concerns.
Another risk is machine failure, with businesses integrated to such a degree that they would not be able to function or deliver services in a machine dominated world. With this, 50 percent of business leaders said that clear protocols are needed for safeguarding in the event that autonomous machines fail.
The final comment is that 45 percent of respondents consider that computers will need to decipher between good and bad commands, as a further means to protect business interests. However, the majority were not as concerned about this.
The business community is polarized
According to Jeremy Burton, who is the chief marketing officer of Dell Technologies: “You can understand why the business community is so polarized. There tends to be two extreme perspectives about the future: the anxiety-driven issue of human obsolescence or the optimistic view that technology will solve our greatest social problems. These differing viewpoints could make it difficult for organizations to prepare for a future that’s in flux and would certainly hamper leaders’ efforts to push through necessary change.”
These different findings highlight some important concepts but also a lack of a shared business view as to the implications, in terms of catastrophic machine breakdown or from a targeted cyber-attack, upon machine integrated firms.
