​A digital-driven "economic boom" is on the way, expected by 2022: CEOs and top executives active in companies from different sectors in North America are convinced of this, according to the "2021 Gartner CEO Survey". A very high level of confidence determined by investments in digital technologies, considered essential priorities for business.

5G, artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies stand out as the most important enablers of innovation and revenues. 20% of surveyed managers included the word "digital" in their response, far more often than in past surveys, stating the increase in investments during 2021 as an objective

80% of CEOs believe that some of the transformations brought about by the pandemic emergency will be maintained in professional contexts, such as smart working – also connected to digital technologies – which will be transformed into hybrid working along the gradual return to workplaces. In addition, the increased use of digital technology and the demand for flexibility are among the biggest changes in consumer habits expected by CEOs.

Narrowing the focus on the most important trends in digital transformation, Google CEO Sundar Pichai says artificial intelligence is set to become more important than the invention of electricity, the Internet and even the discovery of fire. Although it is a technology in the early stages of its development, given its depth and versatility it is destined to be used in so many areas such as healthcare, education, and industrial production. Therefore, AI will become a very deep and widespread enabling technology, but it must be disciplined and put at the service of society to exclusively benefit from it.

​Artificial intelligence is a collection of multiple technologies that enable machines to perceive, understand, act and learn, both autonomously and for the purpose of augmenting human activities. It augments human capabilities rather than replacing them, and the impact on people's work will be offset by the development of more creative skills, training and tasks. Networks will handle a much higher level of complexity by increasing the level of reliability and performance.

According to research by Accenture, annual economic growth rates could double through the systematic use of artificial intelligence by 2035, thus changing the nature of work and creating a new relationship between man and machine. It is estimated that the impact of AI technologies on work will bring productivity gains of up to 40% and will enable people to make more efficient use of their time.

Unlike traditional automation solutions, however, AI-powered innovation automates complex physical tasks by leveraging self-learning machine learning. As a result, labor and capital can be put to much more effective use, allowing workers to focus on what they do best, with less stress.​