NTT reveals technology predictions for 2024, featuring AI and sustainability

NTT,, the world renowned global IT infrastructure and services firm, has unveiled its paramount technology predictions for 2024. These predictions include new trends set to emerge in the industry and key factors that businesses should keep an eye on to stay ahead in 2024.

As companies adapt to the most significant tech disruptor of 2023 - Generative AI, the new year will witness a combination of fresh and key trends gaining momentum across sectors including networking, Edge, Private 5G, data centres and cloud.

Nathan Vandenberg, Vice President, Technology Solutions at NTT, acknowledges that "AI adoption is growing exponentially and with AGI and technological singularity still in the distant future, humans will be a critical part of AI story. Organisations must look beyond the next year to ensure they have the capabilities to enable new technologies of the future and strive to hit sustainability targets."

A new term, 'Dark NOC,' is set to become a common fixture in the networking world's lexicon. Owing to the rapid advancement of AIOps, a completely automated, lights out Network Operations Center is fast becoming an ideal.

Over the upcoming year, networking companies are likely to further incorporate AIOps into their broader operations to enhance network quality, provide support to engineers, and modernise infrastructures.

The surge in AI adoption is driving investment in disruptive energy supplies for data centre infrastructure. Traditional data centre racks consume an average of six to eight kilowatts of electricity, a figure that is set to significantly escalate.

In response to this, in 2024, a bulk of enterprises will collaborate closely with their energy providers to explore more sustainable options. As sustainability targets become increasingly stringent, more firms will resort to disruptive solutions to meet these.

Sustainability is projected to form an integral part of all new tech solutions in 2024. As an indicator of this, from 1st January 2024, half of the electricity used in German data centres must be supplied by non-subsidised renewable electricity sources.

This holds implications for other industries as well, including those harnessing new technologies such as Private 5G networks to drive smart factory applications that contribute to ESG initiatives.

Optical networking is expected to edge closer to becoming mainstream in 2024, with over 90% of senior executives focusing on modernising their networks. The rise of IoT and the adoption of Private 5G and edge computing will enable organisations to gain real-time insights and make better decisions. As businesses ramp up their digitisation efforts, the need for more connectivity and devices is set to grow.

NTT's 2023 Global CX Report highlighted the ongoing need for human skills in the adoption of AI. Despite notable strides in automation, human intervention remains crucial, with around 80% of organisations intending to incorporate AI into CX delivery within a year.

Finally, NTT predicts that in 2024, vertical specific clouds, packaging software, PaaS, and IaaS layers to deliver industry-centric use cases focused on business results, rather than the technology itself will increase in popularity.