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In October 2017, the Gartner/ITxpo symposium set the tone for what information technology will look like in 2018. There are so many new developments that if you blink, you risk becoming outdated in your field.

So you can know in advance what the IT market has in store for next year, we gathered the trends most talked about during the symposium, which took place in the United States—the world stage for technological innovation.

5 IT trends for 2018

Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the trip through topics that will start changing your life—and everyone else’s—next year.

1. Artificial Intelligence getting even more… intelligent

Artificial intelligence shows up both in boardrooms and casual conversations, and it has been growing in ways that even the most enthusiastic futurist couldn’t have imagined twenty years ago.

Starting next year, we’ll see AI aimed at autonomy and decision-making, significantly narrowing the gap between human and machine. Techniques in this field are evolving so quickly that, from 2018 on, a large portion of the processes and tools used in many industries will be AI-based.

If you want to study it more deeply so you don’t miss the train, keep an eye on areas such as Data Science, programming, and even business management, which will need to reinvent themselves to make the most of continuous machine learning.

2. Internet of Things as a priority

We spent a good part of the year talking here on the blog about the Internet of Things, especially wearables. Now it’s time to revisit that content and prepare for IT that’s increasingly focused on connected things.

Also based on AI, the Internet of Things will start fitting more naturally into our daily lives starting next year. Experts around the world bet that autonomous cars—the pinnacle of this area—will be on streets and highways by 2022. Hybrid scenarios and continuous IoT technology testing will also become more present in the lives of those who work—and those who don’t—with IT from now on.

3. Immersive experiences

The technology era is also the era of meaningful experiences. Anything that allows humans to immerse themselves almost completely in alternative realities will earn a prominent place among the major innovations of the future.

If you’re not yet fully familiar with terms like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), get ready to add one more item to your study list for the coming years: Mixed Reality is coming, merging VR and AR to further improve how people experience what they care about.

It will be a major challenge for companies to implement this trend in a context where AR and VR are still emerging, but it promises huge success for those who manage to use mixed reality the right way.

4. Blockchain

Speaking of promises, here’s one that has everything to become a global reality starting next year: blockchain, the decentralization technology used as a security measure for data, documents, and, of course, virtual currencies such as Bitcoin.

In 2017, many companies—including alternative financial institutions—exceeded expectations by highlighting the benefits and ease of blockchain use, which previously seemed reserved only for people who knew a lot about programming.

In addition, hundreds of merchants publicly announced that they accept virtual currencies as payment for their products and services. Bitcoin, which is not regulated by any government, had one of the most desired exchange rates among those seeking high-risk investment returns: in 2017, 1 bitcoin was equivalent to around 12,000 reais.

Because blockchain is also a strong way to send and receive documents securely and with authenticity, there’s expectation about what will happen from 2018 on to places dedicated only to authenticating paperwork—such as notary offices and registries.

5. Digital twins

The Internet of Things will indeed have an even greater impact on society starting next year. Proof of that is the expectation around digital twins, which are digital representations of systems, institutions, or entities that exist in the “real” world.

This movement helps organizations collect more data and improve analysis and understanding through a more intuitive scenario, with less room for error in activities performed in companies’ physical environments.

Don’t worry if you didn’t fully understand these IT trends to follow in 2018: because they’re still emerging, there’s time to learn a lot about them before they generate real impact on your business and your career.

Just don’t wait too long, because things happen faster today—and falling behind is no longer a viable option.