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Over the past 20 years, Rob Marchiori has seen the industry from every angle: startup CTO, banking CIO and now Country Manager at Cognizant Australia. With experience also comes perspective, and Rob believes we’re about to see long-discussed technologies finally transform how businesses operate and people work.
For Rob, some of the most anticipated technological shifts are now becoming real. “Quantum computing is the most significant,” he says, having the potential to “redefine problem-solving across industries.” He also highlights a future of “hyper-connectivity,” where people, devices and systems can be linked in real-time. Combine quantum computing with AI into its systems could “supercharge machine learning” and unlock capabilities we can’t yet predict. Scared yet?
There’s more. As these technologies are further integrated into business strategy, the role of IT professionals must evolve. Rob believes that the most valuable talent won’t just be tech specialists, but also “advisors, communicators and decision-makers”. He also sees “multidisciplinary skill sets” being in high demand, as professionals are expected to pair technical expertise with a strong grasp of strategic thinking.
“AI will bridge the gap between business and technology,” he predicts, highlighting how agentic AI will “proactively identify inefficiencies, suggest optimisations and even take action within set boundaries”.
This shift towards AI will mean more than just improved efficiency, it could reshape how workplaces operate all together. Rob believes that “AI-powered collaboration tools will make working across time zones feel uninterrupted,” enabling smoother and more cohesive teamwork regardless of location.
With Rob predicting such a bright future for innovative technologies, we wanted to know what that future looks like in the near-term. So, how quickly should we all be rewriting our CVs…
The IT industry is on the brink of some major breakthroughs, and I see two key phases of change. First, there are the technologies we’ve talked about for years that are finally set to make a real impact. Quantum computing is the most significant – it’s been in the research stage for a long time, but as it advances, it could redefine problem-solving across industries.
Then there’s hyper-connectivity and edge computing. With hyper-connectivity, everything – people, devices and systems – will be linked in real time, creating a seamless flow of data. Edge computing takes this a step further, processing data closer to its source rather than sending it back to a central data centre. This means faster decision-making, lower latency and a more efficient IT infrastructure.
Another game-changer is Reality+, which merges AR and VR to transform how we interact with digital content and the real world.
The second major phase is the convergence of AI with these technologies. When AI integrates with quantum computing, it could supercharge machine learning, unlocking capabilities we can’t even fully predict yet. AI-driven edge computing will also make real-time analytics and automation more powerful than ever, reshaping industries from healthcare, education, utilities to finance and so on.
Traditional coding and infrastructure management are becoming less of a focus as AI automates routine tasks. This means IT professionals will need to go beyond technical skills and develop a strong understanding of business strategy.
In the future, the most valuable IT professionals will be those who can bridge the gap between technology and business. They’ll need to work closely with different teams, understand company objectives, and align technology with strategic goals.
We’ll also see new roles emerge. For example, companies may prioritise hiring Chief Trust Officers – a new role of leaders who focus on ethical AI use, compliance and ensuring technology is transparent and fair. These responsibilities might eventually be absorbed into CIO or CTO roles, but for now, they represent a growing need for ethical oversight in IT.
Employers will increasingly value multidisciplinary skill sets. Technical expertise will still be important, but skills like communication, strategic thinking and problem-solving will be just as crucial. IT professionals won’t just be tech specialists – they’ll be advisors, communicators and decision-makers who help businesses navigate an increasingly digital world.
In short, the IT role of the future is less about fixing problems in the background and more about leading innovation from the front.
Right now, business problems are often handed off to IT teams, who then translate them into technical solutions. Not long from now, AI will bridge the gap between business and technology, enabling teams to collaborate seamlessly. Instead of IT working in isolation, AI-powered tools will allow different teams to work together in real time, making technology an active part of business decision-making.
Agentic AI will take this a step further, evolving from a tool that executes commands to an intelligent system that can proactively identify inefficiencies, suggest optimisations and even take action within set boundaries. This will fundamentally change how businesses operate – technology will no longer just respond to human input but anticipate needs and drive outcomes.
For remote teams, this will be transformative. AI-powered collaboration tools will make working across time zones feel uninterrupted, and automation will take care of repetitive tasks so that employees can focus on innovation and problem-solving. With agentic AI in play, these systems will do more than just streamline workflows, they’ll actively contribute to decision-making, helping teams stay ahead.
IT is fundamentally reshaping how industries operate, moving beyond efficiency gains to create smarter, more proactive systems that improve lives. In financial services, I’ve seen how AI-powered analytics allow institutions to process enormous amounts of data, predict market trends and provide more personalised services. Fraud detection is set to become more sophisticated, using AI to spot unusual patterns in real-time.
In healthcare, AI is already transforming the way doctors diagnose and treat patients. It can analyse vast amounts of medical data in seconds, spotting patterns that might take humans years to recognise. This means earlier disease detection, more accurate diagnoses and personalised treatment plans that adapt to each patient’s needs. But beyond that, AI is also making hospitals and clinics run more smoothly – handling scheduling, managing patient records and reducing administrative work so that healthcare professionals can focus on what matters most: caring for people.
Education is perhaps one of the most exciting areas as AI is enabling adaptive learning systems that adjust to individual students’ needs. Schools and universities are already experimenting with AI-driven lesson plans that change in real-time based on a student’s learning pace. This could revolutionise education by making learning more personalised and accessible.
The IT professionals of the future will need a mix of technical expertise and soft skills to stay ahead.
On the technical side, AI literacy, data analytics and cybersecurity will remain crucial. Understanding how to work with AI-powered systems – not just as users but as architects – will be a key skill.
However, soft skills will become just as important. Critical thinking, communication and problem-solving will define the most successful IT professionals. It won’t be enough to just know how to use technology; IT professionals will need to understand why and when to use it and be able to explain complex ideas in simple terms.
A good example of this is the rise of prompt engineers – people who don’t necessarily write code but know how to ask the right questions and define problems so AI can generate the best solutions. While highly specialised IT roles will still exist, AI will make it easier for non-technical professionals to interact with technology directly. This will lead to a more collaborative work environment, where IT isn’t just supporting the business but is deeply embedded in decision-making, of course with human oversight.
Collaboration will also be key. The ability to work with different teams and industries – whether it’s marketing, finance, or healthcare – will be a major asset. We’re also seeing a shift toward multidisciplinary education. While STEM degrees are still essential, programs that combine tech with arts, humanities and business strategy will create the most adaptable IT leaders.
For us at Cognizant, we are already looking towards hiring business analysts rather than solely coding specialists. The focus is no longer just on building technology but on understanding its impact on business and society.
One of the biggest concerns is bias and fairness. AI systems are only as good as the data they’re trained on, and if that data carries existing biases, whether in hiring, lending, healthcare, or policing, AI will reinforce and even amplify those biases. This can lead to discriminatory decision-making, even if unintentional. Companies must establish clear frameworks for responsible AI development, ensuring algorithmic transparency, bias detection and accountability in how these systems are built and used.
Another critical issue is job displacement and workforce transitions. While AI won’t necessarily replace humans, it will reshape job roles, automating repetitive tasks while creating demand for new skills. The challenge is ensuring workers are reskilled so they can adapt to evolving job markets. Governments, businesses and educators will need to work together to provide training programs that help employees transition into higher-value, AI-augmented roles.
But the biggest ethical challenge may not be AI itself – but how we perceive it. AI is often framed as an independent decision-maker, but in reality, humans still dictate how it’s built, trained and applied. If an AI system causes harm, it’s not the technology that’s at fault, it’s the people behind it. The real danger isn’t AI making bad decisions; it’s humans hiding behind AI to avoid accountability. Ethical IT is also about governing ourselves, not just the technology.
