A survey of business leaders around the world found that 84 per cent favour a coordinated response to technology-driven change.
Half of the 1,400 business leaders surveyed believe this response should be led by inter-governmental bodies such as the United Nations, followed closely by individual governments (46 per cent), businesses themselves (37 per cent) and industry bodies (35 per cent).
These are some of the key findings in the Timeline 2030 report commissioned by Japanese information and communication technology company Fujitsu to look at the impact of technology on businesses and societies leading up to 2030.
While more than half of those surveyed believe that the impact of technological development will be positive, 76 per cent feel that neither their own nor international governments are doing enough currently to plan effectively for the impact of technology-driven change.
"Rapid technological change is causing enormous shock waves, and its disruptive impact on the world of business is already being seen. But there's another side to the story - the human one - as technology begins to fundamentally change our lives, at home and at work," said Mr Duncan Tait, Fujitsu's senior executive vice-president.
"We must acknowledge and engage with the challenges that this presents, as well as the opportunities. Otherwise, technology may very well leave people behind."
Within their own organisations, business leaders expect the most impactful trends to be the world online, automation and the ageing population.
However, over half admit that they are not doing enough to prepare their businesses for the level of change anticipated.
The survey found that just under half are investing in innovation, and 44 per cent are focused on upskilling existing employees.
Only 28 per cent of businesses are altering their business strategy to plan for the impact of technology.
As a whole, business leaders see the starting point for preparing for tech-driven change as focusing on the skill set required.
Nearly half (46 per cent) believe upskilling the workforce would be the most valuable measure, followed by 41 per cent who are looking for a change to the education curriculum.