Emerging technologies are evolving at a rapid pace, shaping markets and industries around the world, and changing the way we live and work. These innovations provide the perfect opportunity for any business to accelerate its growth.
But one thing remains at the heart of all these changes – people.
At the iconic Sydney Opera House, Endava recently held its first panel event in Australia. Business leaders met with industry experts to discuss the importance of prioritising people-centricity when adopting emerging technologies, particularly in the Asia-Pacific market.
The event also provided an opportunity to celebrate four companies coming together into one Endava, as well as marking the completion of integration of Mudbath and DEK Technologies.
Together, leaders discussed some of the most exciting opportunities coming from emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and shared their view on why people should be at the centre of everything we do.
Josh Doolan, founder of Mudbath, led the keynote under his new role as Managing Director of Endava APAC. Highlighting recent findings from the IDC report, he explained that 76% of organisations expect an increase in rescaling requirements due to automation and AI.
With this insight, he explored the shift towards modernising core enterprise systems to meet AI demands. For this to work though, we must recognise the importance of people-centricity in the digital age.
Here’s a glimpse into the event highlights…
Meet the executive panel
Joined by our moderator Claire Dawson, APAC Commercial Director, Endava, panellists discussed various emerging technologies such as AI, automation and the integral role people play in developing them and shaping their futures.
- Matt Cloke, Chief Technology Officer, Endava
- Libby Davey, Chief Information Officer, NGM Group, the largest mutual bank in Australia
- Travis Gallion, Google’s APAC Chief Technology Officer and Strategic Advisory for Cloudz
People-centricity for a positive societal impact
“Human-centricity is about not losing sight of utilising technology to enrich our lives.” – Libby Davey
Throughout the panel, technology leaders explored the importance of people-centricity and putting the user at the centre of decisions around development. One of the key topics panellists discussed was the impact that human-centric technology has on society.
According to Travis Gallion, the team at Google has a profound understanding of how many lives it touches with its products. He shared insights around the role technologists play in changing the dynamics of how people interact with one another, and how the responsibility has now shifted to keep people growing closer. It’s time to build the human connection back into such products, he said.
Libby Davey agreed, sharing the importance of considering how people want to use technology when we decide how to advance it. In an example of potentially using AI to either create art or wash the dishes, she illustrated how, when the person is at the centre, technology can enrich our lives. Without considering the person, they might be left to wash the dishes, with technology taking the role of the artist.
Striking the right balance to offer benefits
“Technology for technology's sake doesn't make any sense.” – Travis Gallion.
In business, AI can be adopted at both an organisational and individual level. But in both cases, people-centricity is key. Panellists shared insights into what they have learnt when implementing AI in their own workplaces, and how a people-centric approach fits into that.
- Amplification, not replacement – Travis Gallion shared his belief that technology should help us become more productive, amplifying the human experience rather than replacing it.
- Technology in service of people – Matt Cloke said effective implementation for him comes from using it as a tool to extend or improve oneself, for example, as a brainstorming partner.
- Maintaining the soul – For Libby Davey, it’s about ensuring a business doesn’t become soulless through digital technology. Instead, it should be applied to enhance the customer and employee experience, and to improve the human connection.
Ethical adoption across business
With such potential for change, panellists were asked how they felt about the ethical implications of emerging technology such as AI, and how this technology might fit into businesses across industries.
There is no shortage of use cases for AI, especially in industries such as banking – decisioning, credit management, risk processes and running complex datasets at scale offer just a few. Instead, Libby Davey says it’s about choosing those that make the most sense at any given time. For banking, she believes, AI will be a mainstay.
With application of this technology already widespread, Travis Gallion emphasised that development is progressing quickly. However, with more advanced AI that is transforming customer experiences, we are still in the very early stages.
Looking to the future, Matt Cloke is optimistic. “It's just going to further enhance what we do and actually make people better. And that doesn't replace work, it's not going to replace people, it's really going to enable people to do so much more and be so much better.”
Resilience, curiosity and adaptability
Digital transformation of any kind can bring with it several obstacles, but the trio of technology leaders agreed that with the right approach, exciting change is possible. So, what advice do these experts have?
For Libby Davey, it’s about finding resilience and staying power. There will be peaks and troughs, she says, but it’s important to maintain a sense of humour and keep moving forward.
Along the way on any digital transformation journey, it can be easy to get so focused that we choose to ignore other possibilities. However, Matt Cloke suggests that success lies within curiosity. By seeing what else is available, we can often find new opportunities to grow.
Travis Gallion agreed, highlighting the need for adaptability. There’s a tremendous amount of transformation ongoing, so it’s important to get comfortable with change.
The general idea we were left with from the panel was to buckle-up, as AI is here to stay, and get comfortable with ambiguity. Many companies work on setting the foundations for these emerging technologies that will sooner rather than later impact all our lives.
Step inside the Sydney Opera House and see the event from our leaders’ perspectives!