Klaas Ole Kürtz

At McKinsey’s 20th annual IT conference, leading CIOs and CTOs discussed how to distinguish between genuine drivers of technology and mere hype. A lot has changed in the 20 years we’ve been hosting our annual IT conference for CIOs, CTOs, and other C-level executives from around the globe. Leaders across business functions have become more fluent in tech concepts and more adept at making tech decisions and working hand in hand with tech leaders.

Not all tech trends are created equal. Keeping a clear eye on what matters can help steer to better decisions. “Did you see the article about blockchain on the paper’s home page? I think we need blockchain, too.” “We should give all our IT to an offshore system integrator—that will save a lot of money. Our competitors are doing the same thing.” “We need to do something about generative AI right away!” Many who work in IT have heard variations of these statements from well-meaning senior colleagues.

Major technology trends will change enterprises over the next few years. Here we explore 42 shifts that tech leaders can focus on now to better manage technology. We live in an era of technological disruption that is rapidly changing how we live and work. While McKinsey’s Technology Trends Outlook 2023 shows how quickly technology is evolving, leading organizations are also rapidly adopting new and improved ways to better manage technology. Keeping up with the latest developments is already complex.