LEF perspectives: Innovation shifts to the human platform

Over the course of the 2020s, it will become clear that the center of digital innovation has shifted from the digital platform to the human platform, with important implications for the workplace.

Digital technology will continue to get smaller and more powerful. Looking back, each generation of IT miniaturization — mainframes, PCs, smartphones — has created major new markets and possibilities, and increased the number of devices and data volumes we use by at least an order of magnitude. This pattern seems highly likely to repeat itself.

As shown in the figure, the “Matrix” of digital infrastructure we are familiar with today will see the entire “virtual you.” It will be used to augment both our brains and our bodies. Already today, deep learning, analytics and the internet of things (IoT) are drawing insights from how we walk and talk, the rhythms of our breathing and heartbeats, the patterns of our thinking and emotions, and our unique faces, eyes and genetics, while enhancing our capabilities through wearables, implants and the nutrients we consume.

But these innovations are just the beginning. Digital technology will merge with healthcare, fitness, diet, medicine, genetics, entertainment, aging and, increasingly, our five senses — greatly expanding the way we think about what humans can do and how workplaces should be structured. 

Some questions to consider:

Would you implant a chip in your hand to replace all of your keys?

Would you wear a watch that identified any changes in your heartbeat patterns?

Would you use technology to improve your memory, seeing or hearing

Continue reading the position paper, Redefine your digital workplace as an innovation center.

Leading Edge Forum (LEF) is DXC Technology’s independent cross-industry think tank.