Analysts at Deloitte have unveiled their predictions for what they believe will be the most important tech trends of the next 12 months. To do this, they have framed core trends, including machine learning, cloud computing, and blockchain, against the dynamically shifting industry backgrounds where they operate, aiming to focus on real-world use cases rather than just high-level technology concepts. I took the chance to review the selection with their chief futurist, Mike Bechtel, in order to gain some insights into why the consulting giant believes they will be so influential, and how we are likely to see them impacting our lives as we move into 2023 and beyond. Predicting the impact that the much-talked-about metaverse will have on our lives, Deloitte's report focuses on the concept of "Immersive internet for the enterprise." The true value of the metaverse, it is suggested, will be the new business models that it makes possible.

Since the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the traditional workplace, affecting nearly every industry. The tech sector, which has been ahead of the curve in terms of flexible work policy, has been on the roller coaster as well but has remained remarkably resilient. Deloitte's 14th annual Tech Trends report, released on Wednesday, takes a look at the current state of enterprises when it comes to IT. The Deloitte report focuses on the experience of global organizations, across industries, in order to ascertain what tech trends are on the horizon. Deloitte employs a "wide-angle lens" to predict what's happening, according to Mike Bechtel, chief futurist and managing director at Deloitte.

Deloitte has released a slew of predictions for 2021, including in the enterprise tech, data and tech, media, telecom spaces. Deloitte picked resilience as the theme for its 12th annual tech trends report; a word that became a mantra in nearly every organization after their 2020 plans were upended by the coronavirus pandemic. In a webinar Monday, the firm identified nine trends separated into three groups that focus on how organizations can use technology to digitize, modernize, and enhance their businesses. Some have been spurred by COVID-19 and some by changes that have been ongoing for years, said Scott Buchholz, a managing director with Deloitte Consulting and emerging tech research director. The first group is dubbed "Strategy, engineered," and addresses the notion that the corporate and tech strategies "have really become intertwined as we move forward and increasingly become one and the same," Buchholz said.

The idea that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robots will take our jobs and eventually conquer the world makes for a great summer blockbuster, but this fear of AI-robot overlords is grossly exaggerated. I personally welcome the AI and robot revolution. Robots won't replace our talented construction craft. Instead, a new generation of robots will strengthen our builders by performing highly repetitive, monotonous, hazardous, and less-productive tasks. In the same sense, AI – which performs decision-making tasks traditionally reserved for humans – won't render our knowledge workers irrelevant.