The 10 most overhyped technologies in IT

8. Avatars

AI is fueling another area that Info-Tech Research Group’s Jackson sees as overhyped, which is the notion of digital humans and avatars.

Jackson says the technology to create and use avatars is mature and does quite a good job at delivering digital humans who seem real.

In fact, digital humans are already in use today, in legitimate and problematic use cases as well as ones in-between, with varying degrees of human acceptance, he says. Many people will tolerate a customer service chatbot. They’re less tolerant of digital humans used in entertainment “unless there’s a clear artistic reason for them.” And most agree that deepfakes represent a big area of concern.

“But the way companies are thinking about this capability and the use of them [for interactions with real humans] gets a little bit far-fetched,” Jackson adds. “People say they’re going to create digital twins of themselves and send it to a meeting when they can’t make it. Unless it’s your CEO saying you’re going to interact with that avatar, people are going to drop out of [such] interactions. It’s just unacceptable.”

He adds: “I’m not saying never use this. There is tremendous value. But I think we’re going to take it too far, too quickly.”

Although the hype has died down on this class of technology in recent years, some say the expectations on spatial computing (whether augmented reality, virtual reality, extended reality, or the metaverse) still outpace its value — making it a worthwhile entry onto the 2024 list of overhyped technologies.

“The metaverse and AR/VR are technologies similar to blockchain where there was a lot of buzz initially, but it has quickly faded and been displaced by AI,” says Thomas Phelps IV, CIO of Laserfiche and a SIM Research Institute advisory board member. “In 2022 the metaverse took center stage at one of the largest technology conferences hosted by a leading analyst research firm. Last year, Apple made a big splash with Vision Pro. But after the initial coolness factor wears off, it’s hard to justify significant investments in the technology as most organizations have yet to realize sustainable benefits. It’s not easy to break out of niche applications to appeal to a broader enterprise market.”

He notes that “some devices are still clumsy to operate and uncomfortable to use for long periods,” which is further slowing adoption.

Others also label the metaverse/spatial computing overhyped, saying that although it has some worthwhile use cases, the cost of equipment (for consumers particularly) and the limited content has kept it from really taking off.

Tej Patel, CIO and vice president of IT at Stevens Institute of Technology, for example, says many enthusiasts had talked up the potential of spatial computing in education but have found that the benefits “do not justify the cost and efforts involved.” Stevens has an XR lab, but Patel says educators and administrators are strategic in its use, identifying learning experiences that deliver value that exceeds the resources required to run the lab.

10. Humanoid robots

This is another AI-related tech that some say has generated more buzz than substance at this point.

Make no mistake, humanoid robots are on the horizon and already are used to do some work, Jackson says. But they’re good at doing tasks, not entire jobs. The idea that “these humanoid robots are going to replace human workers who are agile at doing different tasks” remains an aspiration, not a reality.

“We’re at the very beginning; no one is relying on these to do real independent work,” Jackson says.

Rama Donepudi, vice president and CIO for global nutrition at Reckitt, has a similar take, saying the interest in humanoid robots is just approaching the hype phase. Like Jackson, Donepudi thinks the technology is a long way from being autonomous.

“We’re thinking it’s going to be like in the movies, but we’re not there yet. We don’t have fully automated lawn mowers yet, and robotic vacuums still get stuck under the couch,” he says.

And he expects when the first ones are deployed, their capabilities won’t match expectations.

Yet, despite all that, Donepudi remains interested and excited about the potential — and committed to being an early adopter: “My wife and I agreed that we’re going to buy the first one that comes out.”