INSTEAD of seeing digital technology as a threat to the workforce, Accenture is taking a new view--that people hold the power to shape and apply technology to create positive change, improve lives, and transform business and society.
In its Accenture Technology Vision 2017 themed Technology for People and by People, Accenture digital group lead JP Palpallatoc renewed the company’s technology forecast.
“This is the era of the intelligent enteprise. Humans taking control and shaping technology to fit their needs,” said Palpallatoc.
In previous years, technology and companies had to be disruptors (2014), placed an emphasis on customer experience (2015), and had a people-first approach and faced the challenge on how to cope with fast-changing technological developments (2016). Accenture holds a new disposition on technology: it being for the people and by the people.
“The technology vision details how, with advances in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data analytics, humans can now design technology that’s capable of learning to think more like people and to constantly align to and help advance their wants and needs,” the company said.
“This human-centered technology approach pays off for business, as leading companies will transform relationships from provider to partner, simultaneously transforming internally,” it added.
This year’s technology vision identified five emerging technology trends: artificial intelligence, designs for humans, a rich and robust digital ecosystem, adoption of workforce marketplace, at the same time acknolwedging the uncharted territory on the future of digital economy in the aspect of old systems and laws that are unsupportive of it.
This year’s theme, according to Palpallatoc, is a call to action for business and technology leaders to actively design and direct technology to augment and amplify human capabilities.
While there are opportunities, there are also challenges as technology continues to evolve.
One of the biggest challenges is for workers to “move up the value chain,” said Palpallatoc. He means flexible and agile workers that can cater to mid and high-complexity tasks. Further, the academe is encouraged to develop a culture that fosters this kind of environment.
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