The year 2020, which is destined to leave a strong mark in human history, has come to an end unconsciously. Many companies that have experienced the impact of the epidemic and economic downturn this year have already set their sights on the upcoming 2021.
In the process of fighting the new crown epidemic and promoting economic recovery in 2020, technology has shown unparalleled power. So in 2021, what are the important technologies worthy of our continued attention? Which industries will benefit greatly from the continuous development and progress of technology?
Faced with the above questions, CIOs and CTOs from hundreds of companies around the world gave their answers.
IEEE Annual Research Report: AI and machine learning, 5G and IoT technologies will become the most important technologies in 2021
Recently, the world’s largest professional technical organization IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) released a survey report "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey: Opportunities and Challenges in 2021, and Key Technology Trends "(Hereinafter referred to as "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey").
This survey conducted in five countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, India, and Brazil interviewed 350 corporate CIOs (chief information officers) and CTOs (chief technology officers). The interview topics mainly focused on the application of emerging technologies in the context of the global new crown epidemic, as well as discussions on the most important technologies in 2021 and the industries most affected by technology.
According to the research report: artificial intelligence and machine learning, 5G and Internet of Things technologies will become the most important technologies in 2021.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning increasingly play an important role in the post-epidemic era
In the process of humanity's fight against the new crown epidemic in 2020, the important role of artificial intelligence and machine learning has long been seen. In 2021, the application of artificial intelligence and related technologies will undoubtedly receive continued attention from the public. The "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey" shows that 32% of global respondents believe that artificial intelligence and machine learning will become key technologies that will affect the development of the industry in 2021. Among them, more than half (56%) of Chinese respondents believe that artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies are playing the most critical role in the global recovery of the new crown epidemic.
"We can see that robots have been widely used in hospitals, such as drug delivery, cleaning and disinfection, etc. In particular, some tasks that people think are traditionally completed by humans have begun to be completed by machines. "IEEE Robotics and Automation Association, IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Association, IEEE senior member Ayanna Howard said, "Some studies have shown that artificial intelligence technology is already used in some places to identify patients with new coronary symptoms. It means people's Work has begun to be redefined by the application of artificial intelligence technology, and this situation will continue into 2021 and beyond."
At the same time, the new crown epidemic has made countless companies fully aware of the power of digital technology. In the process of digital transformation in various industries, artificial intelligence and machine learning are indispensable key technologies. All interviewees in the "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey" agreed that in the next 5-10 years, robots will effectively help them improve work efficiency, and 70% of the interviewees said they have used robots in their daily work; According to further research and analysis results, 25% of the respondents believe that robots can help people to explore and innovate in various fields; 24% believe that robots can be used in clinical care to monitor and timely monitor the vital signs of patients Feedback, thereby effectively reducing the workload of medical staff.
Take the application of artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry as an example. In 2020, the application of technology in the healthcare industry has played a pivotal role. The "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey" also shows that in 2021, healthcare will become one of the three industries most affected by technology. Technology will improve the healthcare industry in the following three ways: First, hospitals will use More cleaning robots; second, artificial intelligence technology will be more widely used in disease diagnosis and detection; third, artificial intelligence technology will continue to expand the definition and solutions of medical care.
IEEE senior member, Professor Han Guangjie of Hohai University also said that on the one hand, artificial intelligence and machine learning technology can perform high-precision simulations of the occurrence, spread and changes of diseases, thereby providing relevant basis for the formulation of anti-epidemic measures; on the other hand, In the digital age, artificial intelligence technology will be widely used in system simulation and model prediction to make robots more intelligent and digital twins more efficient.
5G and Internet of Things technology will continue to help all industries to transform and upgrade
Nowadays, the ubiquitous 5G mobile phones and 5G base stations, as well as various smart terminals such as tablets, smart watches, smart TVs, smart speakers, smart sockets, etc., are always reminding us that we have entered 5G and things. The era of networking. However, for the majority of enterprises, the role of 5G and the Internet of Things in their transformation and upgrading is even far greater than the impact on the consumer market. According to the "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey", 20% of global respondents believe that the fifth-generation mobile network, namely 5G, will be the most important technology in 2021, and the Internet of Things technology (14%) It followed closely behind.
In fact, as two emerging network technologies that have always attracted public attention, 5G and the Internet of Things can be said to be complementary. Among them, the 5G technology, which is characterized by large bandwidth, high concurrency, and low latency, has achieved considerable development in 2020. Because this technology can significantly improve people's work efficiency, 5G is now widely used by companies from all walks of life worldwide. The "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey" shows that 52% of respondents have accelerated the adoption of 5G technology due to the new crown epidemic in 2020. With the step-by-step popularization and application of 5G technology, the Internet of Things technology is about to usher in new breakthroughs.
"The new crown is a huge challenge for us, because now we transfer everything we do outside to the home. Now our home is an office, a classroom, and even contact a doctor to write a prescription can be achieved at home. "IEEE Communications Association, IEEE member Wilson Cardoso said, "We need better and more stable network connections, faster network speeds and smaller delays. These are the core advantages of 5G. 5G and digitalization will bring the whole society. New economic value."
IEEE Fellow and Professor Yang Yang of Shanghai University of Science and Technology also stated that in 2021, 5G and IoT technologies will play a key role in the digital transformation of thousands of industries. "5G and the Internet of Things will be combined with artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data, computing power networks and other related technologies to realize the high-speed transmission, timely processing and intelligent services of massive user data, and promote the digital transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and application scenarios. Become an innovation accelerator for the development of the digital world and digital economy."
Manufacturing and healthcare industries are the industries most affected by technology
In summary, in the post-epidemic era, through emerging intelligent technologies such as cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, intensively carry out digital transformation and upgrading to achieve faster and better development of themselves. Urgent task. So among the many industries, which industries will be most affected by technology?
In the "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey", the interviewed CIOs and CTOs believe that the industries most affected by technology in 2021 are manufacturing (19%), healthcare (18%), and financial services. (15%), education industry (13%).
Professor Ming Liu, IEEE Robotics and Automation Association, IEEE Senior Member, Director of the Intelligent Driving Center of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Director of the Field of Robotics and Autonomous Systems also believes that 2021 will be an important moment for Industry 4.0 to exert its influence. It will contribute to intelligent manufacturing and intelligent transportation. And various industries bring profound changes. For example, in 2021, automated systems will empower the contactless distribution industry and reduce contact with consumers in the epidemic era.
Technology will help companies better meet future challenges
In 2020, under the impact of the new crown epidemic, countless companies have to suspend production and business operations or even close their doors. Therefore, how to resist sudden risks and better deal with unknown challenges has become one of the most urgent research topics for many companies in 2021. The "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey" shows that more than half (52%) of CIOs and CTOs believe that how to achieve business recovery as soon as possible in the context of the epidemic will be the biggest challenge that companies will face in the coming year.
In the process of business recovery, CIOs and CTOs are most concerned about how to coordinate remote work with field offices (22%), how to restore the normal operation of field offices (17%), and how to effectively manage the increasing normalization Telecommuting (13%), and cybersecurity issues when employees use private devices to work online (6%). Among them, for network security issues, the two areas that CIOs and CTOs are most concerned about are mobile office (37%) and the hidden dangers of IoT device connection (35%).
So, in the face of the ensuing difficulties and challenges, is the company fully prepared? The "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey" shows that the vast majority (92%) of CIOs and CTOs believe that compared with a year ago, their companies have been able to respond quickly to emergencies, such as efficiently responding to data Potentially critical situations such as leaks. This shows that after experiencing the impact of the new crown epidemic, the ability of enterprises to resist emergencies and unexpected risks has also been significantly enhanced.
About IEEE
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world’s largest professional technical organization. Through its publications, conferences, technical standards, as well as various professional and academic activities that are widely cited internationally, IEEE is in the global aerospace, biotechnology, Computer engineering, new energy, geographic information systems, neural networks, wireless communications and other high-tech fields are at the forefront of technological development, and are committed to promoting scientific and technological progress for mankind.
As the world's largest non-profit professional technical organization, IEEE has more than 430,000 members worldwide, including more than 20,000 expert members in China in many high-tech fields. The IEEE has been actively building an open and shared international cooperation arena, carrying out academic and technological exchange activities, and developing different technological and academic platforms. It hopes to give full play to the synergies of members of the society, establish an active academic and technological innovation ecosystem, and help The development and growth of a generation of professional and technical personnel.
If you want to know more, please click on the following video to watch the relevant results of the "IEEE Global CIO and CTO Interview Survey":