Right now, I am studying Digital Innovation at the school of commerce in the Netherlands. This minor introduced me to the Big Five, five technological developments reshaping how businesses work. We have to build a digitally innovative solution for a company with a real problem.
These five developments really stuck with me because they will shape the future of work, and even our lives. Things are already changing fast, and disruption and exponential change make it harder to keep up.
But I hope to give you some insight into the most important changes in today’s world. By the end of this article, you will understand what the Big Five means and what connects all five underneath the surface. You’ll also see why it matters beyond big companies.
What the Big Five are
The Big Five are the five most important technological innovations at this moment. They consist of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Big Data & Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics & Automation, and AR/VR.
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning is what most of us already recognize and use. Common examples are ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude. But it goes deeper than that: these are Large Language Models (LLMs). An LLM is an advanced artificial system trained on massive amounts of text. It can understand, summarize, translate, and generate human-like language.
But Artificial Intelligence actually comes with a lot of layers, and it’s very complex. The most used layers are Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Generative AI. Machine Learning is a method where computers learn to find patterns in data. They use those patterns to make predictions without needing explicit programming for every rule.
Deep learning takes this a step further. It uses layered, brain-like artificial neural networks to automatically analyze highly complex information like images and text. Generative AI is an advanced application of deep learning. It uses these patterns to create entirely new, original content like text, images, or music.
If you want to go deeper on this, I wrote more about navigating AI without losing focus in How to Make Sense of AI while staying Digitally Minimal.
Big Data & Analytics
Big Data & Analytics is the second one, and it works great with artificial intelligence. In the future, businesses will treat useful data as the new gold, because it reveals patterns in behavior and the problems people have. It tells us what to focus our attention on and helps us see new opportunities. Just like I explained in the last article, a marketer or business owner wants a big pool of data to uncover opportunities for making more money.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things is a system of objects that work together both physically and digitally. A good example of this is Google Home, where music, lights, your refrigerator, and many more devices work together in the same system.
Robotics & Automation
Robotics & Automation refers to robots that perform the tasks they’re built for. Examples include robots in car factories that build entire cars without human hands. Other examples are mobile robots in warehouses and cooperative robots that help doctors with precision work.
A good example of one of these technological advancements is Amazon’s robotics. Amazon uses robots in its warehouse network for global fulfillment. These robots package products, sort them, and move items throughout fulfillment centers. Amazon is also working on drones that will deliver packages in the future.
These robots increase speed, reduce costs, are more accurate than humans and make decisions easier. They mainly take over repetitive jobs that people do not want to do anymore. That way, employees can focus more on other tasks. Robots can work 24/7 and increase production rates exponentially.
AR/VR
AR is augmented reality and VR is virtual reality. With AR, you see real environments with virtual objects displayed in them, like a virtual chair in a real design room. VR is completely digital, and is popular with games but also branches like construction engineering.
Not all of the Big Five innovations improve the same processes. Every single one of them fulfills a different need or solves a different problem. That is why, whenever you work for a company that wants to optimize a process, it’s important to identify the problems first. Look at their data, and step into their shoes or their customers’ shoes. Once you have a clear picture of the need, you can implement one or more Big Five innovations in the business.
The common thread behind the Big Five
What connects all five innovations underneath the surface is that they all work based on data and Artificial Intelligence. They simply remove manual steps and can create new data or act on existing data. Our brains actually work the same way in some sense. We all do specific things on autopilot each day, like brushing our teeth, driving to work or making dinner.
Right now, I mainly use Artificial Intelligence and Big Data for my business. I don’t really use IoT or Robotics yet, though I can see myself using them in the near future. Some of these things take time to get used to. Robots could soon be doing work for families and households, and more devices will become connected and synchronized with each other. I think it’s a slow process of adopting digital innovations.
Around the year 2000, few people wanted a mobile phone. They thought it wasn’t useful, or too technological. Right now, we’re at the same point: we already use artificial intelligence, which is a milestone in itself. Ask most people today if they want a robot at home doing chores, and they’d probably say no. But things might be totally different five years from now.
Why the Big Five matters beyond big companies
As a multi-passionate creative, this matters to me because these five technological developments will change the game for people like me and many other small business owners. More and more people now have the option to build something only large companies could do ten years ago. My mother, who is an artist, can run her company while artificial intelligence acts as her marketing and sales team, running 24/7. Maybe in the future she’ll be able to let people on Instagram see her paintings in a virtual room using AR/VR. Or she might have a cooperative robot assistant that hands her the paint and brushes.
I can use Big Data and AI to run my small one-person company. They help me develop digital products that speed up video editing, writing, creating illustrations, and more. The Big Five is great because it helps you see further beyond just AI, while also showing you how AI is part of every digital innovation.
Takeaways
A quick recap of the things we’ve learned from this:
- The Big Five are the five most important technological innovations at this moment.
- Not all of the Big Five innovations improve the same processes; every single one of them fulfills a different need or solves a different problem.
- Now more and more people have the option to build something only large companies could do ten years ago.
- Implementing the Big Five can reduce costs, save time, increase accuracy and lead to better decisions.
Just like the flip phone, we’re at another moment of adoption. This time it’s five innovations at once. Will you use them?
This week there will also be a YouTube version of this article, so stay tuned for that. If you want to discover your multi-passionate outlets, consider subscribing to my newsletter. You can also grab a free download of The Creative Asset Map.
Mart Bergsma
