- Some 30% of knowledge workers will be dependent on brain-machine interfaces by 2030, says Gartner in a roundup of tech trends
- Applications include “human-upskilling,” “next-generation marketing” and “performance,” say the punditry princes
- Marketers will be able to read my brain? What manner of Mad Men hell is this?
GARTNER IT SYMPOSIUM/XPO, ORLANDO, FLA. — Gartner issued a round-up of forward-looking technology trends today, and its wildest prediction is that “neurological enhancements" aided by technology will improve human cognitive abilities using software that reads and decodes brain activity.
Interfaces can be either one-way (unidirectional) or bidirectional brain-machine interfaces (BBMIs), Gartner said.
The analyst group sees huge potential for neurological enhancement in three main areas: training and education (Gartner calls it “human upskilling”), next-generation marketing and performance.
Did you catch the dystopian punditry Gartner slipped in there? Neurological enhancement will be used for “next-generation marketing?” We will be unable to escape advertising, even in our thoughts and dreams!
And you thought YouTube ads were annoying.
Holy Hal 9000!
Gartner’s statement said, “Neurological enhancement will enhance cognitive abilities, enable brands to know what consumers are thinking and feeling, and enhance human neural capabilities to optimize outcomes."
Today at its conference, Gartner distinguished VP Gene Alvarez said marketers with direct-to-brain interfaces are a "scary" prospect. "This could be the next generation of marketing," he said, "where after I go for a run, my headset is saying, 'Boy, wouldn't you like an ice cream, Gene?'"
But the prospect of brain-machine interfaces isn't all dystopian. For an example of a more positive use, Alvarez said truck drivers might be able to wear earpods that automatically detect when the driver is drowsy and tells them to pull over and rest. And a worker might be able to put on a vest, hat or glasses that impart new skills.
When is this coming? Maybe soon.
“By 2030, Gartner predicts 30% of knowledge workers will be enhanced by, and dependent on, technologies such as BBMIs (both employer-and-self-funded) to stay relevant with the rise of AI in the workplace, up from less than 1% in 2024,” the analysts said.
While direct computer-to-brain interfaces sound great in science fiction, the technology seems less than dandy to contemplate in real life, considering how unreliable and prone to security vulnerabilities information technology can be today. If your phone battery drains, that’s inconvenient, but if your brain gets hijacked by North Korean hackers to mine Bitcoin, that’s going to be a real problem because people like to use their brains.
Other tech trends less reminiscent of “Black Mirror”
Other technology trends identified by Gartner are far less likely to induce a person to spray Diet Coke all over their screen in outrage. These include:
Agentic AI, which autonomously plans and takes actions “to meet user-defined goals,” will be in widespread use by 2028, Gartner predicts, adding “at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI, up from 0% in 2024.”
AI Governance platforms will help organizations manage “legal, ethical and operational performance of their AI systems.”
Disinformation security will help ensure integrity, assess authenticity, prevent impersonation and track the spread of harmful information.
Ambient invisible intelligence using “ultra-low-cost, small smart tags and sensors” will solve problems such as retail stock-checking and perishable goods logistics through 2027.
Spatial computing, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, will streamline workflows and enhance collaboration. Gartner predicts the market will grow to $1.7 trillion by 2033, up from $110 billion last year. This article gives an example of spatial computing being used today to save lives.
Polyfunctional robots, able to “do more than one task” will replace “task-specific robots designed to repeatedly perform a single task.” By 2030, “80% of humans will enage with smart robots on a daily basis, up from less than 10% today.”