Four top tech trends to watch in 2024

When one looks back at 2023, it’s safe to say that 2023 has been dominated by all things artificial intelligence (AI). It’s been a little over a year since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the world – a large language chatbot served as the catalyst for the incredible rise in interest around AI. And since then, conversations about the technology have been had at boardrooms and dinner tables across the world.

We even wrote two blog posts around how this large language model would transform the software development space and unpacked how our dev team is already using AI to improve the work they do. You can read them here and here. Looking ahead to 2024, Gartner analysts forecast that the IT spending will reach $5.14 trillion in 2024, up from $4.72 trillion this year. According to the research and consulting firm, the technology investments that dominate the new year will be those that help businesses maintain their success despite widespread uncertainty and pressure.

Below, we unpack a few trends we’ll be keeping an eye on in the year to come.

1 Artificial intelligence everywhere

In 2023, we witnessed generative AI’s exponential impact on the software development space. Already being used to automate tasks like code generation and bug detection, going into 2024, generative AI will continue to be at the forefront of software development conversations. Earlier this year, research from McKinsey noted that gen AI-based tools deliver impressive speed gains for many common developer tasks, making it possible to write entirely new code, for example, in nearly half the time. And these gains are only set to continue into the new year. And coders are set to boost their productivity by as much as 50%, on average, by using gen AI, writes Forbes. In 2024, it’s forecast that generative AI will really start to follow through on its promise of boosting productivity, amplifying creativity, enhancing how businesses engage with their customers and improving how they meet modern customer expectations.

2 Outsourcing

Another prominent trend in 2023 that is set to continue in 2024 and beyond is the growing demand for critical technology skills. By 2030, there could potentially be 85 million unfilled tech jobs, costing the global economy as much as $8.5 trillion. As a 2021 Gartner study found, these tech talent shortages prevent businesses from adopting new and emerging technologies, which can hinder their ability to keep up with their competitors. As such, outsourcing and staff augmentation will gain traction in 2024 as more and more businesses look to give their in-house talent a helping hand by outsourcing certain tasks without having to recruit for specialised roles. The benefit of something like staff augmentation is that businesses can use this approach to bridge the gap – by bringing in talented developers for a specific period of time – when their internal resources aren’t able to cope with specific project requirements.

3 Progressive web apps (PWAs)

Back in 2021, we wrote a blog about the rise progressive web apps (PWAs); unpacking how this software offers a quicker, more reliable and more engaging version of your website by combining the best of web and mobile technologies. Today, delivering a seamless user experience across multiple platforms and devices is more important than ever and this isn’t set to change in 2024. This explains why PWAs are expected to gain even more traction, as businesses recognise the many benefits these apps provide. Take the e-commerce space, as a relevant example. PWAs make it possible to provide a consistent shopping experience across various channels, including web, mobile, in-store and social media. PWAs are inherently cross-platform and responsive, which makes them ideal for delivering a unified shopping experience and because of their offline capabilities, PWAs can ensure that customers have a seamless experience whether they’re shopping online or at a physical store.

4 The further rise of low-code and no-code

In much the same way as the democratisation of AI via tools like ChatGPT is opening up opportunities for more and more people to experiment with innovative technologies, the low-code trend enables everyday users to try their hand at app development. Back in 2021, Gartner predicted that by 2024 the majority of technology products and services would be built by people outside of IT. This trend is also significant for experienced developers who can now build applications with minimal coding efforts, using pre-built components to speed up their processes. With modern businesses demanding that their IT departments digitise everything, low-code tools make is possible to get products out there faster.

As we look ahead at what the technology world has in store for us in 2024, it’s safe to say that businesses will need to do a lot to keep up with upcoming trends. Do you want to position your business to succeed in 2024? Bluegrass can help; using our expertise to build applications and experiences using the latest technologies. Find out more, here.