Discover the latest trends

Immersive virtual experiences, reliable and secure artificial intelligence, the use of 'clouds,' reimagining the tech workforce, decentralized architectures and ecosystems, pushing legacy system modernization, and transitioning from infoTech to xTech. These are some of the GovTech trends of 2023. But what about GovTech trends in 2024? Once again, Deloitte has prepared a report on the GovTech trends we can expect for this year, and in this blog, we tell you all about them.

As we step into the ever-evolving landscape of technology and governance, GovTech continues to shape the way governments engage with citizens, deliver services, and streamline operations. With each passing year, new trends emerge, transforming the traditional approaches to public administration. In 2024, we anticipate an even greater convergence of cutting-edge technologies and innovative strategies, poised to redefine the future of governance. “Forward-thinking governments and organizations understand the technological forces that surround them and look for ways to utilize them for the benefit of citizens and constituents alike,” said Deloitte.

💥 Interfaces in new places! 

Augmented and virtual reality, immersive 3D interaction facilitated by devices ranging from tablets to smart glasses, high-fidelity 3D assets, and autonomous machines and new devices are leading the way. 

When it comes to governments, Deloitte emphasizes that they can continue to leverage the power of virtual reality training today, whether it's simulating scenarios for social workers entering troubled homes or soldiers engaging on the battlefield. While immersive 3D training often yields better retention rates than traditional methods, the utilization of digital twins for physical installations and objects enables an increasing capacity to monitor, manage, and enhance existing infrastructure.

💥 Generative AI as growth catalyst! 

Generative AI technology shares many similarities with earlier machine learning tools, but thanks to enhanced computing power, improved training data, and sophisticated coding, it can now mimic human cognition in various ways. With machines capable of behaving, comprehending, and narrating like humans, the pertinent question arises: how will this impact the world at large? 

Such technology can serve a valuable role within government agencies, aiding in the discovery of solutions within vast volumes of existing policies, summarizing lengthy documents, or suggesting content for review. Educating government leaders and users about the capabilities and limitations of Generative AI helps in managing expectations and enhances the likelihood of success. Generative AI is undoubtedly here to stay, and it's time for agencies to learn how to effectively manage it.

💥 A new need for specialized hardware!

While traditional cloud services are typically sufficient for most everyday business tasks, there's a growing demand for specialized hardware to tackle cutting-edge challenges that give companies a competitive edge. Forward-thinking organizations are exploring ways to optimize their current infrastructure and integrate advanced hardware to enhance efficiency. 

Governments worldwide will soon have a plethora of computing options at their disposal, including various CPUs, GPUs, customized chips for machine learning, quantum computers, and more. Making smart choices in hardware selection can boost performance and cut costs, but it also means grappling with the rising complexity of workload management in data centers and the cloud. 

💥 From DevOps to DevEx! 

DevOps is a set of practices and cultural philosophies that aim to improve collaboration and communication between software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) teams. The goal of DevOps is to shorten the systems development life cycle and provide continuous delivery of high-quality software. On the other hand, DevEx stands for Developer Experience. It refers to the overall experience that developers have while working with a particular tool, platform, or framework. Having a skilled tech team is crucial nowadays. However, the way we work isn't always the most efficient. Typically, developers only get to spend around 30 to 40 percent of their time actually developing features. As organizations compete for top talent, there's a renewed emphasis on improving the developer experience (DevX).

While it's already challenging for organizations to attract and keep highly skilled tech experts, government agencies face even greater obstacles. To become more appealing to those seeking stable, purposeful careers, governments should concentrate on enhancing the developer experience. This means cutting down on tasks that hinder productivity, streamlining bureaucratic processes, and offering continuous learning opportunities.

💥 Living in an age of synthetic media!

With the rise of AI tools, it's now simpler for malicious individuals to trick and deceive their targets. Deep fakes, for instance, are being used to bypass voice and facial recognition systems, as well as in phishing schemes. As more content-generation tools emerge online, the risks to security keep growing. However, leading organizations are taking action by implementing a blend of policies and technologies aimed at spotting harmful content and educating their employees about potential risks.

Governments, too, are feeling the pressure to safeguard their employees, agencies, and the public. Today's tools empower bad actors to launch large-scale cyber-attacks and sophisticated social engineering campaigns at minimal expense. Governments must navigate the complexities of cyber threats, misinformation, and disinformation, necessitating collaboration across agencies, companies, and nations.

💥 Technical wellness: mainframes, networks, and data centers!

To prepare for the future, organizations are shifting from managing technical debt in isolation to prioritizing technical wellness. By conducting proactive wellness assessments focused on their mission, teams can identify which parts of their technology stack require attention and which can continue meeting IT needs. In the coming years, organizations are expected to develop comprehensive and tailored wellness plans for their technology stack. 

Similarly, governments can take a more holistic approach to modernization and technical debt reduction. By developing technical wellness plans that gradually incorporate modern technologies and practices like automated management and self-healing, they can enhance their ability to fulfill their mission. By maintaining a continuous focus on wellness, government agencies can adopt strategies to upgrade their technology and systems over time, reducing the need for large-scale modernization efforts.

According to Deloitte, out of these 6 trends, governments are most prepared to adopt generative AI, but not so much the rest. Moreover, regarding the potential impact if governments were to adopt these trends, Deloitte understands that the adoption of generative AI and the transition from DevOps to DevEx would have the greatest impact. This indicates that generative AI is definitely going to set the trend in private sector organizations and various public sector agencies. 

But what is Generative AI? Why is that important? Stay tuned for our upcoming posts where we'll discuss more about this trend and its potential impact on governments.