Let’s take a trip back in time;
Back to 2012…
We started the year with H.E Prof. John Evans Atta Mills as President and ended it with H.E John Dramani Mahama as President of our beloved country.
Barack Obama won his second term as US President also in this year.
“Quick question…” Where were you by then in terms of education or employment?
Still in 2012, statistics showed that mobile/telephone penetration was 88.6%, internet penetration stood at 10.6%. Today as you read this, they are both at 140% and 53% respectively. In 2012, DVD players were the most modern household entertainment tools, there were very few digital TV decoders at the time. Very few people used smart phones and even fewer people used WhatsApp. Facebook and social media in general were still relatively “fresh.
What is New in 2022?
It has been almost 10 years today and the change we see can be so massive to comprehend. Today DVD players can be classified as ancient and will fit good in a museum. We currently have smart TVs that can tell when you are bored and switch channels to cheer you up. Extended/Virtual reality is on the fast rise as well as Augmented reality. We have 3D printers that can basically print anything you need once you are able to give it the required variables. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence are gradually becoming the new normal as we dive into a system of driverless vehicles, robots performing surgeries, embedded systems etc.
Now let’s look into the future
Few questions to ask ourselves.
- What does the future hold?
- What should we expect?
- Will we be ready for it?
- Will we still be in control?
Considering the rapid growth expressed by Technology and its advancements, what would the future look like by 2032?
Don’t be surprised to…
…witness computational power far greater that what is capable now.
…see most activities and jobs fully automated.
…see Brain-Computer Interfaces; Nano-chips being implanted into our brains, and we may be able to upload data and cognitive resources to our brains by 2032.
…see Paradigm Shifts in Health & Medicine; numerous breakthroughs in genomics and anti-aging therapies will extend our longevity and quality of life. Stroke for example being reversible.
…see replaceable body parts; already, researchers have used technology to bio-print miniature human kidneys in the lab using advanced 3D equipment.
…see synthetic biology also known as artificial life; synthetic biology is already creating xenobots which are fully programmable living species not found in nature, that can help us better understand and fight diseases.
…see everything being Autonomous; nearly all our transportation, i.e. cars, planes, trains and drones, will have autonomous capabilities. Already in 2021, a UK company successfully flight tested its Flying Car Prototype.
…see the cost of tertiary education becoming cheaper; certificates might however have expiry dates.
…see people editing the genes of their unborn children; the core technology is already being used in the development of some of the current vaccines. The technology can also be used to redesign human capabilities and strengths.
…see more people using solar energy than the traditional electricity; solar technology, just like mobile technology is improving fast and getting cheaper.
Some more ‘Wild’ stuff to Expect
Digital Twins: a digital twin will be a virtual representation of a person that spans his/her lifecycle, it is updated from real-time data and uses simulation, machine learning and reasoning to help decision-making.
More sophisticated Warfare: war will become less of guns and bombs and more of cyber warfare.
Less Need for academic Certification: there will be a preference for demonstration of specific skill sets.
Wilder but highly likely stuff
- Implantable mobile phones
- Government replacing its census with Big-data technologies
- Majority of reading glasses being connected to the internet
- 90% of the global population will have a supercomputer in their pocket
- Consumer products being 3D printed
- Some big cities will stop using traffic lights due to predominance of AI vehicles