The smart machine era will disrupt IT more than any previous era. Gartner has listed smart machines as a top strategic technology trend for 2014 and 2015. Smart machines include robots, self-driving cars, and systems that can make decisions without human intervention. They are enabled by technologies like cloud computing, big data, and the internet of things. Smart machines will transform many industries and potentially disrupt jobs. Their development raises issues around ethics and long term impacts.