The “Tides of Technology” (The New York Times bestselling book) by Nicholas Carr outlines over 600 new technologies every year. These are not only the result of scientific research, but also include applications in business, education, medicine, communications, government and even entertainment. Nicholas Carr states that many of these technologies had not even been dreamed of when he was a student in college. And many of them, he notes, are in use around the world.
In his book, Nicholas Carr discusses the trends and technologies for the next five years. He anticipates that artificial intelligence will lead to the development of “neural computers,” which will be able to perform more human tasks. Two of the most exciting technologies to come along in the next five years, according to Nicholas Carr, are the “wearable artificial intelligent computers” and the “wearable artificial intelligent robotic machines.” In the next five years, says Nicholas Carr, “artificial intelligence will be able to do everything that a human can do, but better.” Artificial intelligence researchers are making progress toward creating machines that are able to think, reason, learn and remember, all while being robotic androids as well as computer servers.
Within the next ten years, says Nicholas Carr, “artificial intelligence will have created true artificial intelligence, meaning that a computer system will be able to solve a problem without any human supervision.” A good example of this will be the development of self-driving cars. “Car software engineers have already created self-driving car programs that can parallel park, turn down curbs, stop at red lights and drive up city streets without any driving skills whatsoever,” writes Nicholas Carr. Similarly, in another article on “the future of technology,” Nicholas Carr states that the next five years will be the dawn of a new era of technologies: “Five years from now the most popular gadget in the world will be a phone with GPS.” This will be followed by smart phones with artificial intelligence, digital music players, and wearable computers.
In the next decade, states Nicholas Carr, “we will have mini computers in our hand and on every desk, and they will be connected to the Internet. We will have high definition television and Internet access on the go. The future of technology is in its infancy, it is truly exciting times.”
One of the most exciting technologies of the coming decade is the “blockchain” technology. The “blockchain” is a complex algorithm that determines the path of a digital transaction. What it means is that instead of having to wait for the transaction to be made, you can let the digital transaction happen immediately. The “blockchain” was developed by developers working on the distributed ledger software known as the” bitcoins.”
Other technologies being developed will help recycle materials and make the recycling process more efficient. One such emerging technology will be able to recycle trash into biodegradable plastics. This will be especially helpful in Third World countries where landfills are filling up at an alarming rate. Additionally, new ways to create biodegradable plastics will help cut down on pollution. All these factors, when put together, will be responsible for creating a better planet for future generations.