The changes in digital technology over the past few years have been genuinely remarkable, and they have far-reaching effects. And while no one can predict all the changes that will result from these advances, most people, many corporate and governmental leaders, and society as a whole are not particularly aware of or prepared for the changes that will occur.
At their core, the technology-enabled shifts listed in the report are fundamentally giving two things away:
- Digital connectivity for everyone to anything, anywhere and at any time
- Tools for evaluating and using digital data in new ways.
- The 21 shifts covered in the research are divided into six “mega-trend” categories
- The link and engagement of people with the internet as a mental, social, and physical extension of themselves
- The capacity to interact with digital technology, data, and the web anywhere, anytime, on any device. Computing, communications, and storage everywhere.
- Big data and artificial intelligence together enable computers to acquire and analyse enormous amounts of disparate data and make decisions based on that analysis.
The sharing economy and distributed trust are transparency and trust mechanisms provided by technology that permit direct exchanges of goods, services, or money between parties outside of customary settings like shops and other businesses.
The digitization of matter includes 3D printing and the on-the-spot (personalized or on a small scale) production of physical materials based on digitally communicated specifications.
These trends will have a significant impact on how individuals live their lives, conduct business, interact with others in organizations, and govern ourselves. Software is increasingly driving and enabling our environment, while at the same time, the information we can access and analyse is becoming more “bite-sized”.
Huge potential exists. Imagine the benefits of being able to access any service, physical asset, or tool you desire, exactly when and where you need it, on any device; or of being able to anticipate a serious health issue before it occurs and receive the necessary medical care or an organ that is tailored specifically for you wherever you are. While most of us are unaware of it, these changes are well on their way to becoming reality but won’t happen overnight. There is a lot of room for democracy and clarity.
However, there are valid worries as well. Will there be acceptable degrees of privacy for individual lives as data is created on everything?
How can we adequately safeguard intellectual property or secure financial data with accessibility considerably improved and a path to practically everything available on the internet? What will happen to the sense of worth, place, and contribution to society that people have received from work for a large portion of recorded history if employment changes, or possibly even becomes unnecessary for many.
Research & written by:
Sanah Abbasi