Machine learning at 'peak hype', says Gartner report

The major theme of the report is the ever-closing gap between virtual and physical reality. Gartner said technology will become more human-centric to the point it will "introduce transparency between people, businesses and things", as technology becomes adaptive, contextual and fluid in the workplace and home. It listed the connected home, gesture control, 4D printing, brain computer interfaces (BCI), and human augmentation among other technologies that will blur the lines between physical and virtual worlds. Augmented reality and virtual reality, which remain a part of this group, are in Gartner's'trough of disillusionment' and the'slope of enlightenment' – the twin phases after the'peak hype' has passed. Virtual reality remains a niche sector, despite Nokia expanding distribution and slashing prices for its professional virtual reality kit, and Intel proclaiming a new era of'merged reality'.