Below is a continuation of our Prognostications, Predictions and Hot Topics for 2020 post. Learn what Consultants Collective member consultant Rod Thorn predicts is in store for us in 2020 and beyond:
Artificial Intelligence
AI will prove to be very beneficial to industries such as customer service primarily through the use of chatbots. It will also become a better stand-in for personal assistants. For example, if I want to book a trip, an app already knows what airlines I like, my frequent flier info, preferred seat, time of day, etc. It can then proactively send me options the same as a human assistant would do.
Use of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality,
Especially for training, entertainment, and advocacy. While training will probably have the biggest market opportunity, entertainment and advocacy will benefit because VR and AR have a heightened ability to persuade because the storytelling is immersive.
Increasingly Distributed and Transient Workforce.
Technology, high cost of commercial real estate, lack of geographical mobility, concern for the environment, and the probable advent of a national health care system will all add up to workers no longer being tied to one company for their health insurance or income, and tied to commuting to one communal location. They’ll have several sources of income, and their loyalty will be to themselves and their families instead of a company (since those companies are not loyal to them).
Older Entrepreneurs.
Call them “olderpreneurs.” Companies generally kick workers out after they hit 50, yet our financial and social system wants to raise the retirement age to around 70 or so, and people are living longer than ever. So, what will all these people do about that? Thanks to technology, they will start businesses on-line as well as in person, putting their business experience to good use.
All-Electric Vehicles
2020 will see an explosion of people driving all-electric vehicles, which are essentially computers on wheels. In order for us to reach the tipping point, a massive investment will need to be made to build an infrastructure of vehicle charging stations. Thanks to the lawsuit and settlement forcing Volkswagen to pay for lying about how fuel-efficient their cars are, VW is investing BILLIONS to build out that infrastructure over the next 3 years in the United States.
