Dell's Catherine Doyle unveils technology outlook for 2024 ...

In association with Dell Technologies Ireland

Dell Technologies Ireland has released a series of predictions by managing director Catherine Doyle, highlighting emerging trends that are set to shape the future of business in 2024 and beyond.

Big advancements in generative AI (GenAI), quantum computing and zero trust technology together with a growing focus on sustainable IT are expected to help organisations and their people to innovate, enhance productivity and remain secure.

“As we look towards a new year, breakthrough technologies will help Irish businesses to navigate new challenges that may emerge in the coming months and to innovate at speed,” said Doyle (pictured).

“Generative AI will be the centre of business focus next year. 2024 will be all about putting AI into action and implementing generative AI projects that can be truly transformational. The first step on the AI journey should be to organise and structure data which will help avoid AI sprawl.

“With the global explosion of data, there will be an increasing need for organisations to manage that data effectively. Quantum computing will help to address this and bring about a massive leap in the computing power required to unlock AI innovation. By looking to the horizon and identifying the technology trends that will shape Ireland’s economy, Dell Technologies can support public and private sector organisations to adapt, grow and advance sustainability.”

GenAI will take centre stage, moving from theory to practice

Doyle said generative AI will take centre stage in 2024, moving from theory to practice. While GenAI has fostered many creative ideas in 2023 of how it will transform business, there are very few real-world examples of GenAI in action.

“As we enter 2024, Gen AI projects will start to be business-ready with visible productivity gains becoming evident,” she said. “An increasing number of Irish businesses will adopt AI and scale it across their organisation. According to our latest GenAI Pulse survey, nearly half of IT leaders expect to see meaningful results from GenAI initiatives within six months to a year. One of the first steps that leaders can take to ensure successful AI adoption in the year ahead is to organise and structure data within their business.”

AI will come to life in more powerful PCs

PCs are set to become more powerful as AI comes to life, enabling the technology sector to deliver on the promise of digital assistants. Doyal said that over the next 12 months the PC experience will shift from searching to prompting, from reading to understanding, and from editing to directing. This will result in the emergence in a ‘two-way human-machine partnership’ in workplaces across Ireland. Also, as AI becomes a key part of laptops and devices, it will unlock improved privacy and security while also advancing sustainable design.

Quantum computing and GenAI will become intertwined

With the global explosion of data and AI, there will be an increasing need for organisations in Ireland to put in place the computing power to manage it effectively. “Quantum computing will begin to address this and bring about a massive leap in the computing power that is required to unlock AI innovation,” said Doyle. “If we were surprised by the GenAI advancements of the last year, leaders should expect to see a bigger jump forward when quantum computing becomes intertwined in the near future.”

Zero Trust will become central to strengthening cyber resiliency

Although there has been much discussion about zero trust, Doyle added that 2024 will see Zero Trust will evolve from a concept to a real technology.

“Adopting a zero-trust approach helps organisations build a more resilient and responsive security infrastructure while ultimately lessening the impact of cyber-attacks. As the benefits of Zero Trust technology becomes evident, it is expected that zero trust will become the norm in a wider range of industries in Ireland,” she said.

Greater adoption of green tech as leaders prioritise sustainability

Finally, Doyle argued the role played by technology in advancing sustainability will grow in 2024.

“With larger companies being required by the EU to disclose their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and activity, business and IT leaders in Ireland will increasingly rely on technology to track their climate data and reduce emissions,” she said. “Our latest Digital Pulse Survey revealed that almost half of companies are looking at upgrading technology in the coming year to cut rising energy costs and drive sustainable innovation.”