IEEE: Artificial intelligence, 5G, and the Internet of Things will be important technologies in 2021

On November 26, foreign media reported that according to a latest study by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), artificial intelligence, machine learning, 5G and the Internet of Things will be the most important technologies in 2021.

The technology organization recently released the results of a survey of chief information officers and chief technology officers in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, India and Brazil on the most important technologies in 2021, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their technology adoption rate, and the industries expected to be most affected by technology.

In terms of the most important technologies, nearly a third of respondents (32%) said artificial intelligence and machine learning, followed by 5G (20%) and the Internet of Things (14%), according to a statement from the IEEE. The CIOs and CTOs surveyed said that most believe that manufacturing (19%), healthcare (18%), financial services (15%) and education (13%) are industries that will be impacted by technology.

Meanwhile, 52% of CIOs and CTOs believe their biggest challenge is dealing with the pandemic recovery related to business operations. These challenges include a permanent hybrid remote and office work structure (22%), office and facility reopening and return (17%), and managing permanent remote work (13%).

However, 11% of respondents said that the flexibility to stop and start IT projects will be their biggest challenge as this unpredictable environment continues, while another 11% cited cybersecurity threats as their biggest challenge.

The CIOs and CTOs surveyed have accelerated the adoption of some technologies. More than half (55%) of respondents have accelerated the adoption of cloud computing, 52% have accelerated the adoption of 5G, and 51% have accelerated the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Due to the impact of the epidemic, the adoption of the Internet of Things (42%), augmented and virtual reality (35%), and video conferencing (35%) technologies has also accelerated.

With the continuous maturity of technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing, the digital transformation of enterprises has become an inevitable trend. The sudden outbreak of the epidemic this year has accelerated the evolution of this trend.