Until recently, disruption in IT meant something very different than sending everybody home to work for a year. But the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the technology landscape, stalling some approaches and systems, while speeding the adoption of others. In our recent State of the CIO survey, tech leaders placed AI and machine learning at the top of their list of technologies most likely to significantly impact how businesses operate in 2021. IT leaders also see big data and analytics having a distinct impact, along with less widely adopted technologies such as blockchain. We reached out to IT leaders and industry analysts to get their take on which technologies pose the most disruptive potential in 2021, with some offering perspective on which technologies might be in favor as the pandemic subsides.

Technology's pace of change has had a profound impact across nearly every industry. These days it's not enough to keep atop of emerging technologies but to keep ahead of them. In the coming year, new and evolving ways of wrangling data will take center stage in the enterprise. Innovations in artificial intelligence, edge computing and software robots will increasingly be leveraged for competitive advantage as organizations look to quickly and efficiently use data to make better business decisions. Organizations that fail to anticipate these and other emerging trends risk a rapidly accelerating existential crisis.

When IBM's Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov at chess in 1997, it was a huge breakthrough for AI methods and capabilities. However, the AI of the '90s lacked the technology and practicality to provide long-term value to an organization's end users. The AI of today has the power to change the way our world operates, however for this to be realized many organizations have to learn what AI is and how to use it, and wider society needs to allay any fears and embrace it. These themes are discussed in a new book titled "Embracing the Power of AI". The book contains chapters written by five AI experts, who take a detailed look at the state of AI today, what businesses need to do to implement it, and how this will impact on society.

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are accelerating the creation of intelligent enterprises and enabling companies to integrate themselves into people's lives, according to Accenture Technology Vision 2018, the annual technology report from Accenture that predicts key technology trends likely to disrupt business over the next three years. However, capitalizing on growth opportunities while also having a positive impact on society requires a new era of leadership that prioritizes trust and greater responsibility. This year's report, "Intelligent Enterprise Unleashed: Redefine Your Company Based on the Company You Keep," highlights how rapid advancements in technologies -- including artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics and the cloud -- are enabling companies to not just create innovative products and services, but change the way people work and live. This, in turn, is changing companies' relationships with their customers, employeesand business partners. As part of the Technology Vision, Accenture surveyed more than 6,300 business and IT executives worldwide.

In 2018, disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and computer vision are maturing, going from game-changing ideas to foundational tools for business. This year, we'll see these and other technologies drive how business gets done and what new products will launch in the near future. To get a sense of what's ahead for this year, we looked at the technologies experts say are most likely to affect a wide variety of organizations as they undergo digital transformations. Pros in these fields gave us their top picks for what should be on your radar, as well as some insight into the implications of adopting these new technologies. Last month, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase announced a joint venture with a focus on using technology to offer their employees and their families "simplified, high-quality and transparent healthcare at a reasonable cost."

In 2018, disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and computer vision are maturing, going from game-changing ideas to foundational tools for business. This year, we'll see these and other technologies drive how business gets done and what new products will launch in the near future. To get a sense of what's ahead for this year, we looked at the technologies experts say are most likely to affect a wide variety of organizations as they undergo digital transformations. Pros in these fields gave us their top picks for what should be on your radar, as well as some insight into the implications of adopting these new technologies. Last month, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase announced a joint venture with a focus on using technology to offer their employees and their families "simplified, high-quality and transparent healthcare at a reasonable cost."