The 5 technologies that will change the future of humanity

In my book, Tech Trends in Practice, I talk about many technology trends that are already moving out of the R&D departments into everyday life, but the following five I think will have the most profound impact on our society and humanity as a whole.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence, or AI, and machine learning refer to the ability of machines to learn and act intelligently, meaning they can make decisions, perform tasks, and even predict future outcomes based on what they learn from data.

AI and machine learning already play a bigger role in everyday life than you might think. Alexa, Siri, Amazon’s product recommendations, Netflix and Spotify’s personalized recommendations, every Google search you make, security checks for fraudulent credit card purchases, dating apps, fitness trackers… Everything is powered by AI.

AI is going to revolutionize almost every facet of modern life. Stephen Hawking said: “Success in creating AI will be the greatest event in human history.” And Hawking immediately followed it up with: “Unfortunately, it could also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.”

There are potentially huge risks to society and human life as we know it, especially when you consider that some countries are racing to develop AI-enabled autonomous weapons. AI and machine learning are the foundation upon which many other technologies are built. For example, without AI we would not have achieved the amazing advances in the Internet of Things, virtual reality, chatbots, facial recognition, robotics, automation or self-driving cars, to name just a few.

AI is also going to change human jobs. AI-enabled automation will have a particularly significant impact and could lead to the displacement of many jobs. But rather than subscribe to a vision of a dystopian future where all human work is handed over to robots, I believe AI will make our working lives better. AI will improve the work of people, and new jobs will emerge to replace displaced jobs.

What’s more, as machines become more intelligent and able to perform more human tasks, I believe that our uniquely human abilities, things like creativity, empathy and critical thinking, will become all the more precious and valuable in the workplaces of the future.

Gene Technology

Genomics is an interdisciplinary field of biology that focuses on the understanding and manipulation of DNA and genomes of living organisms. Gene editing is a group of technologies that enable genetic engineering to change the DNA and genetic structure of living organisms.

Biotechnology is advancing to the point where it is viable to alter the DNA encoded within a cell; it will affect the traits or characteristics that his descendants will have. In plants it can affect the number of leaves or their color, while in humans it can affect their height, eye color or their likelihood of developing disease. This opens up a range of possibilities that is almost limitless, as it means that any characteristic of a living organism that is inherited can theoretically be changed.

Much of the work done with gene editing is in the field of health care. Some of the most exciting projects at the moment are the correction of DNA mutations that can lead to serious diseases such as cancer or heart disease. But, perhaps more than with any other technology, there are a large number of ethical and legal concerns as well as “what if” questions when it comes to genetic engineering and editing. Genome editing in humans is currently banned in many countries, including much of Europe, as its long-term results are not understood.

With anything as potentially transformative for society as genomics, it can be easy to get carried away thinking about possibilities like eradicating cancer or even extending human life indefinitely. In reality, such major advances are likely to be a long way off, if they are ever possible at all. Focusing on solving smaller problems that will have an immediate real impact is likely to be more fruitful in the short term.

Human-Computer Interfaces

Human-computer interfaces create wearable devices and technology that help improve the physical and potentially mental performance of humans and help us live healthier and better lives. Perhaps the most common examples of wearables today are fitness trackers and smartwatches: small, easy-to-wear devices that typically monitor our activity and provide insights that help us live healthier, better, more productive lives.

However, the term wearable does not necessarily mean something that you attach to your wrist or anywhere else on your body; it also extends to smart clothing such as running shoes that can measure your gait and work performance, advances such as robotic prosthetics and robotic wearable technology used in industrial settings.

As technology gets smaller and smarter, the sheer range of wearables will expand, and new, smaller, smarter products will emerge to replace the wearables we’re familiar with today. For example, we already have smart glasses, but they will probably be replaced by smart contact lenses. After that, smart contact lenses will likely be replaced by smart eye implants.

Advances like this lead many to believe that humans and machines will eventually merge to create truly augmented humans, transhumans or humans 2.0, where the human body is supercharged like a sports car to achieve enhanced physical and mental performance. It would change the world of medicine and eventually perhaps even challenge our understanding of what it means to be human.

On a societal level, we may be heading for an even greater divide between rich and poor, between the Haves and the Have Nots. Technology promises to help us live longer and healthier lives, perhaps even offering the chance to live forever, but probably only for those who can afford it. Imagine a society in which the rich are effectively superhumans who live forever, and everyone else is normal and disadvantaged… There is also a wider ethical question of whether we should want to live extraordinarily long lives given the huge pressures our planet is under will post .

Augmented Reality (XR)

Augmented reality, or XR for short, includes virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality and refers to the use of technology to create more immersive digital experiences.

In practice, XR is used to boost brand engagement, let customers try before they buy, improve customer service, make workplace learning more effective, and improve other organizational processes.

XR Technologies offers exciting and completely new ways for people to experience the world around them. XR technology is already finding many real-world applications in our world, and is likely to dramatically change the way we interact with technology. In fact, mobile-based AR experiences, such as the Pokemon Go app, generated more than $3 billion in global revenue in 2018. XR is also the user interface in the metaverse, the idea of ​​a virtual universe where we can be whoever or whatever we want while exploring the digital world of gaming, meeting, going to events, or anything in the line from the movie ‘Ready Player One’.

But accessibility and availability are obvious hurdles to overcome, as XR headsets can be expensive, bulky and clunky. But the technology will become more common, affordable and comfortable to use, which will only increase the chance of widespread use. The biggest challenges will include privacy and the potential mental and physical impact of highly immersive technologies.

3D Printing

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, means creating a 3D object from a digital file by building it layer by layer. 3D printing may seem distinctly more low-tech than artificial intelligence or gene editing, but it has the potential to completely transform manufacturing and other industries.

Using 3D printing, the factories of the future could quickly print parts for machinery on site. Entire assembly lines can be replaced with 3D printers. We can print human tissue for transplantation, print weapons, even print food.

3D printing technology brings many opportunities, but it also brings some disadvantages, challenges and obstacles to overcome. While this has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing by using fewer materials overall, we must consider the environmental impact of the printers themselves.

3D printing also presents problems for intellectual property owners, as the technology allows counterfeiters to cheaply and easily produce fake licensed goods. There is also the problem that weapons can be easily 3D printed. One thing I find particularly exciting about 3D printing is the potential it holds for mass customization of products. Thanks to 3D printing, products and designs can be customized to match one-off requests in orders, and this can cover anything from personalized sneakers to food personalized to our individual nutritional needs.

Keep an eye on these technologies because I believe they have the greatest potential to impact the future of human life and our society. To keep up to date with these and other trends, subscribe to my newsletter and check out my books ‘Tech Trends in Practice’ and ‘Business Trends in Practice’.