Joe Ghattas, RVP UK at OutSystems, has forecast the top three trends for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and developers going into 2024.
Firstly, Ghattas notes that the technology landscape has been significantly shaped by generative AI. As businesses embrace this change, it's vital for CIOs to take a strategic approach in implementing generative AI capabilities. "Many will try to boil the ocean and upskill their entire workforce on generative AI all at once. Yet, the reality is that... businesses will benefit more from leveraging this technology strategically where it has the most potential to drive significant productivity gains and in ways that humans can understand, see, control, and trust," said Ghattas.
Being selective with generative AI serves the dual purpose of fostering faith in the technology while ensuring its implementation aligns with the organisation's overall strategy, enabling productive and innovative change.
In his second prediction, Ghattas identified efficiency, innovation, and agility as the top priorities for CIOs in 2024. As customer expectations evolve and businesses remain under pressure to innovate, application development must become more democratic. "CIOs will need to empower business technologists with the right skills and tools. The combination of low-code and AI will bring new ways of problem-solving and fuel productivity within the organisation," Ghattas explained.
Low-code solutions, when integrated with generative AI, are forecast to bring about a significant rise in productivity. Pre-built components reduce the potential for security problems and performance issues, while also allowing the creation of complex enterprise-grade applications. It's therefore crucial for CIOs to stay ahead of digital transformation trends, ensuring their teams have the needed skills and tools to stay competitive.
The third trend largely impacts developers. Ghattas predicts a major shift as the foothold of generative AI strengthens in the developer world. "Throughout 2024, we will see many developers having to unlearn the default ways they'd traditionally been building software from scratch and make room for a new AI-assisted co-worker to enter their teams. More and more developers will engage in a conversation with their platforms and leverage generative AI to give suggestions and improve the user experience," Ghattas proclaims.
Generative AI is expected to alleviate the burden of repetitive tasks, making project development quicker and more productive. Developers will need to adjust to a scenario where AI is a valuable team member that deserves trust but also requires meticulous security standards. As our understanding of AI matures, so too must developers' methods in handling it. The introduction of new regulation and standards will pave the way for a strategic, secure, and sustainable innovation.
In summary, Ghattas's predictions suggest pivotal advancements in technology shaping the workplace of the near future. A calculated and progressive assimilation of AI in businesses—specifically focusing on its implementation in alignment with strategic roles, increasing development efficiencies, and transforming traditional developer methods—is set to chart the course for 2024.