Thoughtworks explores rise of generative AI

The meteoric rise of generative AI is one of the key themes of Thoughtworks’ Looking Glass report for 2024, which is designed to help companies navigate industry shifts and identify new opportunities.

The report finds that generative AI is finding its way into every part of the business, meaning it is imperative for companies to develop a solid data strategy and clear goals to ensure they can effectively utilise the technology.

To protect themselves from the risk of using generative AI to make the wrong decisions, organisations should focus on making data findable, accessible, trustworthy, interoperable and reusable, according to Thoughtworks CTO Rachel Laycock. It is also essential that data platforms are secure and privacy-conscious, she said.

“Data platforms enable businesses to gather data insights, build reliable AI systems, control risk and can also be a key component in creating, managing and enforcing data governance. The latter is one of the biggest challenges many organisations face,” Laycock said. “Yet it doesn't stop there. Having control over the direction and output of AI systems is part of responsible technology practice and is essential to mitigating against unintended consequences.”

The report argues that the ability to integrate AI to assist employees will be key to the success of enterprises in the future, and that a data platform with reliable access to credible data will become vital for all enterprises.

Meanwhile, the report found that organisations will face pressure to reimagine how they engage with and learn from stakeholders including customers and partners, adopting solutions ranging from voice interfaces to extended reality. It also urges organisations to implement guardrails around privacy, security and sustainability as part of their approach to technology.

Another key theme explored in the report is the acceleration of the convergence between the real and virtual worlds, a trend which Thoughtworks predicts will affect any organisation that is not a pure digital play.

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