Man and machine: What will the future hold? - CEO insights

It takes bravery nowadays to predict the future. Indeed, if the events of 2016 have taught us anything, it's that unlikely outcomes can easily become a reality. This year marks the 20th year of our CEO Survey and it's been fascinating to look back over the surveys to see how the thinking of CEOs has developed, reflecting the environment around them. To their credit, CEOs saw a lot of the turmoil coming; back in 2009, 76% predicted a rise in political and religious tension and even then 46% believed that governments would become more protectionist. But successful predictions are relatively rare - and that's a salient lesson for people strategy. In 2015, our CEO survey showed that a third of business leaders were increasing their reliance on contractors and freelancers – signalling the emergence of the'gig economy'.