The relationship between humans and machines is changing rapidly, according to Gartner, with computers complementing and assisting human work in new ways.
Analysts believe that emerging technologies, including smart machines, cognitive computing and the Internet of Things, are redefining the human-machine relationship and narrowing the divide between biological and artificial, says Gartner. The 2013 Hype Cycle Special Report assesses more than 2 000 technologies in 98 different areas, reporting on the maturity, business benefit and future direction of all technologies included.
"In making the overriding theme of this year's Hype Cycle the evolving relationship between humans and machines, we encourage enterprises to look beyond the narrow perspective that only sees a future in which machines and computers replace humans," says Jackie Fenn, VP and Gartner fellow.
The report identifies three main trends: augmenting humans with technology, replacing humans with machines, and using machines to work alongside humans, says Fenn. These trends were identified by observing how emerging technology was being used by early adopters.
Human technological augmentation includes physical, emotional and cognitive equipment, such as wearable technology, 3D bio-printing, brain-computer interfaces, speech-to-speech translation and gesture control. Augmenting humans with technology has the potential to create a more capable workforce, says Gartner, considering such possibilities as accessing any enterprise data, on demand, on a wearable device.
Using machines instead of humans offers the potential to improve productivity, reduce danger to humans, and improve quality or cost in repetitive or simple tasks. The mental image of automated production lines is outdated: machines are now developing the capacity to replace humans in work such as customer service, where they are able to reduce query volumes by answering the large number of straightforward questions from customers, passing on only the more complex queries. Mobile robots, virtual assistants and autonomous vehicles are some of the emerging technologies in this category.
However, humans may also work alongside machines to complement and enhance human work. Machines are able to improve productivity and speed to a task, while humans contribute emotional intelligence and the ability to handle the unknown - for example, IBM's Watson, a virtual research assistant for doctors that provides the latest clinical research and other important diagnostic information.
"Enterprises of the future will use a combination of these three trends to improve productivity, transform citizen and customer experience, and to seek competitive advantage," says Hung LeHong, research VP at Gartner.
"These trends are made possible by three areas that facilitate and support the relationship between human and machine," adds LeHong. "Machines are becoming better at understanding humans and the environment - for example, recognising the emotion in a person's voice - and humans are becoming better at understanding machines - for example, through the Internet of Things. At the same time, machines and humans are getting smarter by working together."
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