Technology is the driving force for business innovation in the 2020s. There is no big idea, workflow process, or creative direction that doesn't take into account the technology your company already uses. What your CIOs, IT staff, and marketers also need to consider is the available technology that hasn't yet been integrated into your business.
These are some of the best strategic technology trends that will drive the industry next year.
AI: A new virtual workforce
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the digital landscape. Autonomous AI is increasingly being used by organizations to achieve strategic goals, and one of the biggest benefits AI brings to organizations is a virtual workforce.
AI is increasingly being used in the form of a virtual workforce. AI is the ideal technology for virtual assistants, customer service representatives, avatars and agents. The technology leverages AI's new ability to communicate with real people with authenticity, intelligence and emotional capacity.
The main challenge for an AI virtual workforce is to create robust guardrails to ensure AI assistants remain aligned with your organizational goals.
Technology-integrated interactive kiosks
In marketing, technology impacts where, when and how you reach new audiences. There is no better example of technology pushing the boundaries of what brand marketing can do than around the interactive kiosk.
While the headlines often focus on what's new in digital marketing, non-home digital advertising is expected to account for $40 billion by 2032. Digital out-of-home advertising is one of the fastest growing subsets of the market and is demand for creative, immersive and interactive displays driving innovation.
Big Digital has answered the needs of marketers with a line of interactive kiosks designed for indoor and outdoor activations and displays. Their interactive kiosks integrate full motion displays, touch and gesture control, point of sale, AI avatars, personalized consumer engagement, data analytics, immersive engagements and gamification.
Technology-integrated interactive kiosks can extend your reach when they are battery-powered or solar-powered. Weather rated kiosks can open up outdoor opportunities, allowing you to access live sports, music festivals, public places and more.
Anti-fraud and disinformation security
You may be confident in the digital literacy of your workforce, but you may be surprised at how easy it is for cybersecurity threats to use human error and gullibility to break into your organization. Digital literacy is at the heart of cybersecurity, and according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, 5% of adults with a bachelor's degree are digitally illiterate, while 41% of adults without a high school degree are digitally illiterate. That's enough of a loophole to put entire organizations at risk.
Organizations that are serious about cybersecurity need to invest in anti-frag systems and disinformation security. Disinformation security is an emerging technical category focused on establishing trust, validating the identities of people with whom an organization communicates, and preventing account takeovers. It is a technology that can protect your organization from disinformation campaigns of all kinds, including cybersecurity threats, viral media and harmful narratives that can infect your company's decision-making processes, resulting in financial losses and reputational damage.
Strategic technology drives business innovation. Learn about the technology trends making a splash across industries in 2025.