By Sachin Chawla
This article highlights the upcoming tech trends in the DBMS industry.
Last year saw a significant evolution for the AI industry, with generative AI technologies reaching new levels of performance and impact. Generative AI has delivered value to businesses, stakeholders, and customers, enabling new forms of innovation, creation, and collaboration across various sectors. As we step into 2024, the tech landscape continues to evolve, with AI and other technologies playing pivotal roles in shaping the future of innovation and productivity. Let’s have a look at the top 5 AI trends to watch out for in 2024:
- Cloud: The Unsung Hero
In 2024, the predominant tech trend may not center around AI itself but rather the facilitator: cloud computing, particularly through platforms like AWS. Despite AI’s ascent, cloud technology remains a transformative force, reshaping the IT landscape. Roughly 90% of IT spending still gravitates towards on-premises setups, but the cloud is altering this paradigm, playing a vital role in managing the infrastructure for AI workloads. While AI grabs headlines, the cloud quietly handles significant tasks like data and infrastructure management.
According to a survey in India, 49% of organizations are adopting the cloud to modernize their data infrastructure, with larger organizations leading at 55%. Additionally, 78% of organizations are implementing cloud strategies for app modernization, and 40% of organizations are using the cloud for collaboration and workforce productivity.
- GenAI: a tool to improve efficiency
Developers express a strong need for improved documentation to enhance productivity, and GenAI tools like ChatGPT offer a rich but challenging resource in this regard. While many developers primarily view these tools for code generation, their real value lies in code analysis. Rather than expecting AI tools to handle all aspects of programming, developers should leverage them to automate mundane tasks, freeing them to focus on critical aspects and boosting confidence. The emphasis is on using AI as a coding assistant to alleviate tedium rather than as a replacement for all programming tasks.
- Balancing Hype and Reality in AI Adoption
The main challenge in adopting AI in programming lies in finding the right balance of expectations—avoiding both over-hyping and underestimating its capabilities. Over-hyping may lead developers to rely too heavily on tools like Amazon CodeWhisperer, expecting perfect code generation, which can result in bugs and issues. AI should enhance, not replace, a developer’s skills. Developers need to understand AI’s limitations, identify errors, and prompt fixes or address them themselves. Conversely, low expectations discourage the use of AI tools, preventing exploration of their potential benefits. The focus should be on testing different Language Model-based coding tools, understanding their strengths and weaknesses, and leveraging them effectively rather than expecting them to do all the work autonomously.
- AI Empowering Developers
Developers face challenges related to knowledge and time constraints. AI offers assistance in both areas, such as in the task of migrating workloads from relational infrastructure. An example is the introduction of AI-powered SQL Query Conversion, which converts SQL queries and stored procedures, allowing developers to shift focus from query creation to review and implementation. This not only saves time but also empowers developers by relying on AI for conversions they might not be familiar with.
- Augmenting, Not Replacing, Human Expertise
As AI takes center stage, it’s crucial to remember that human expertise remains indispensable. Decision makers and organizations need to acknowledge the importance of human oversight, fact-checking, and quality control when integrating AI tools. Through leveraging GenAI tools to augment human capabilities, organizations can derive significant benefits while minimizing the risk of errors.
The technological landscape of 2024 promises a harmonious fusion of AI, cloud technology, and innovative work methodologies. Organizations that navigate these advancements with agility, strategic foresight, and a commitment to diversity are poised to thrive in the evolving digital era. This era marks an exciting chapter in tech evolution – one that invites organizations to stay tuned for the unfolding possibilities and shape the future of the digital realm.
(The author is Sachin Chawla, VP, India and South Asia, MongoDB, and the views expressed in this article are his own)
