Blockchain technology is a game-changer with the potential to impact not one or two industries, but the complete landscape of how business is done. When 200 healthcare executives were surveyed by IBM, 16 percent expect to have a commercial blockchain solution at scale sometime this year.

And artificial intelligence (AI) and robots that support, diagnose and treat people are already in homes, workplaces and clinical environments all over the world, according to PWC.

Still in their infancy, early adopters of these technologies are starting to report promising results.