The future is now and unfolding before our eyes. We are already operating in new ways. Be it working from home, ordering groceries online or video-conferencing for medical advice. Online education has shrunk distances, provided flexibility but devoid students of the games they play on the ground with friends. Cryptocurrency taking a jump of more than 800% and threatening central bank-backed classical currencies globally. And 5G and Quantum Computing are already knocking at our doors. From new normal to a new future, let’s discover what the future holds for us. Learn, adopt, and adapt.
Pandemic spelled doom for the globe. But as the Phoenix is rising from the ashes, it is making sure to not just upgrade but to wake up to a ‘New Future’, which will be more advanced, innovative, intuitive, technology-driven, and faster. Change is necessary, but that does not mean that change is sweet always. ‘Disruptive technology/ innovation’ is a term that means those innovations or technologies that changes the way we used to operate and also affect our value systems, business designs, habits, etc. It changes the status quo and is often met with resistance. The new generation and innovators love it and status quoits fight it. But as you know, the march of the future and a new idea can be delayed but not stopped. And this time, it is not just ‘a’ new idea, but an army of ideas, innovations, and changes marching it. Some are good, some are challenging and some are worrisome. Let’s measure the ‘winds of change’.
From New Normal to New Future: Trends That Are Shaping the Globe
Work From Home – Remote Working
There can be nothing positive about a pandemic. But there is a possibility of positive about the ‘human response to the pandemic’. When pandemic struck, job lay-offs and salary cuts were rampant. Commerce and industry took a big blow from a global lockdown. Obviously, saving human lives is always the priority, we can still rise from the stone age, only if we are surviving and breathing. So we need to ensure that we are living. No brainer in that. Soon technology became our savior. Work-from-home (WFH) and remote working were adopted. This was new to almost all the sectors, it has its own ups and downs.
Cons/ Challenges of Work From Home
Work From Home save many jobs but still there are many issues that are needed to be addressed, rather on urgent basis.
- There were many goof-ups and fiascos where people were not adept in handling technology and were caught unaware of roaming nude, caught in compromising positions, etc.
- Females reported sexual abuse, where bosses, supervisors, managers, etc were very inappropriately dressed while communicating with female employees via video conferencing.
- One widespread abuse was managers or bosses, calling employees at their whim, much beyond office hours. There was a perception amongst many bosses, who thought if people are working from home, they cannot be productive so they assigned too much work. All this blurred the work-life balance and turned WFH into a nightmare.
- Also, WFH is much more expensive as many employees needed to purchase furniture and gadgets to communicate with the office.
- Females bore the biggest brunt, as by remaining in-home, they were expected to do household work as if it was a Sunday and office also vent venom of over work.
- Many employers took the advantage of the pandemic to reduce salaries even if their business was on digital mode and used the excuse of work from home as if the quality is compromised.
All these need to be seen, rectified and norms being formulated to enable better human life.
Pros/ Advantages of Work From Home
- WFH provided much-needed flexibility to workers as well as the employers.
- The fatigue of daily transport and useless expenditure is saved. People will travel as per their need or wishes but not to do that work which can be done from the comfort of the home.
- Employers found that they can save approximately $11,000 per employee per annum if employees are working from home.
- Human resource managers have always floated the idea that employees are like jail inmates who needed to be supervised. This is being done to expand their dreamy empire to rule on employees. WFH has shown that if sensibly, work is allocated to employees and there is coordination in the work-flow, then there is no need for supervision. Let, those supervisors in executive jobs gather new skill-set and find new jobs. In the meantime, employees will breathe peace and companies will taste profits.
- Companies can save a lot in the case of WFH and can hire a better, competent, and expensive workforce. Yes, investment in a higher-skilled workforce is the key. Technology is manned by humans. So now you know, where to spend it?
- Many big corporates have seen the practical working and have saved on office rents, security, etc. Technology provides efficiency. What has been just a proverb, is now being implemented and tested. Test-run successful. WFH is there to stay.
- Not all jobs will shift to WFH. Only a few where technology can be the interface or totally technology-dependent can go for WFH.
Online Education and E-learning
Those little devils were locked in their houses due to the fear of this dreaded novel coronavirus pandemic. Ah! we could still make them study. Thanks to the digital world of online education and e-learning. Obviously, the march of humanity should never be stalled and our cute little devils are hungry for knowledge. With all the social gatherings and physical interactions banned, students needed special solutions so that their academic year and yarning for learning should not be left unattended. We had the power of the internet and that extends beyond gaming, social media, and torrents.
Schools quickly jumped to online education mode. The limitations of distance, time, and resources were defeated. Sitting at home and being present at school. Wow! Now that toothache and stomach-ache excuse won’t work. Junior has to take a test now. Or else that stomach ache means he should take a bed-rest and no games till he gets fine. So, are you ready for that excuse? Teachers had to take a kind of crash course in learning to make videos and obviously many were not accustomed to facing a camera and not an actual crowd of students. Logistical problems were the first challenges. Internet is available, how to record a video? Which format? Ah! where to look? etc. Teachers went under a lot of pressure but finally overcame it all.
One of the positive aspects was the places and the pupils for whom access to school was not possible, technology bridged the gaps. Many NGOs installed monitors and internet powered by solar energy in poor areas and taught the basics of handling computers. Books were converted to pdf and other online formats like mobi. and epub. and mailed to students. Education expanded its reach and touched the lives of many. This trend is sure to see an expansion in every regard. Rather! students who were earlier going to school found that flexible routine helps them to do more. Was it a marriage between conventional learning and home-schooling?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT)
This decade of 2020s will be dominated by ‘Artificial Intelligence’, ‘Augmented Reality’ and surely ‘Internet of Things’. AI processing big data and making relevant advertisements pop up on your screen about the things which you have searched for yesterday is just an example. AI is already helping governments to detect tax-frauds. Your phone itself is using AI to predict what you want and the Google search bar completing your sentences while typing. Machines are learning to think like us. They are already checking your grammar, telling you the shortest routes to a nearby restaurant, and even helping you select a date on a dating website. Really cool! You better make smart decisions. AI is making machines think like humans. Now like a President, you will be having an advisor in the form of AI. Of course, it is up to you to listen or not. Saw those chatbots on your banking sites? I know many times, irritating. They are also an example of AI. With advancements in algorithms and other computing technologies, these AI are learning to learn and adapt. Guess our future is full of intuition and predictive technologies. These digital ginies can predict what we want and can bring up the menu to serve us better. Anybody to take my order!
Many people your smartphone applications to control their room light, AC temperature, open-shut garage door, look at CCTV feed, etc. Yup, that is the Internet of Things (IoT). Combine it with AI and its applications will surpass your imagination. It is all meant to provide comfort to you. A single device helping to manage and coordinate other things. You can even do automation i.e. preplan things and they are executed like a clockwork. Wow! felt like Tony Stark for Iron Man movie or some cool scientist. Bingo! These things are going to expand exponentially in the coming decade. Awe and surprises are just in-store.
Automation in Business and House
Aha! Look at my robotic vacuum cleaner. Looks cool. My smart-light gets switched off when I exit the room and Air Conditioner cools the room before I enter. I am not in heaven, this is automation. And all this is going to expand. With the reach of the internet expanding, clubbing with IoT and Artificial Intelligence, we see much more than Alexa, Cortana, and Siri. Robots are already serving people in some restaurants while drones are doing the delivery of groceries. Yes, the future is here. Human looking robots are reading the news too. Oh my God. That’s amazing. What to ask more? A machine that automatically plans our day, manages our house security when we are not there, sends an email, etc, well all that is already achieved. It’s time for more.
Automation is automatic working by machines to do a certain repetitive work or work in coordination with other machines. Gosh! that is already threatening to throw a lot of people in from of the demon called unemployment. Okay! Remember old videos where there were so many workers in automobile manufacturing? Remember new age videos where there are robotic arms painting cars and tightening screws and so fewer people in manufacturing? Yes, you got the point now. Congratulations. Similarly who needs that oven, now microwave has an oven too. Baking made easy. Now many things can be made at home. Good. The bakery industry graduated to making more complex, beautiful, and multi-tier cakes. Now you have cake decorator as a profession. See the magic of technology.
Things are getting automated and machines are taking most of the repetitive works. Seems humans have no time for creativity and innovation. This is the boon of technology which if utilized properly can help mankind to leapfrog to new dimensions, beyond Mars of course. Machines are there to reduce the share of unproductive work in our daily schedule. Utilize this advantage, not to earn an afternoon sleep but to build a better future of your dreams. The ‘new future’ is full of these machines serving us.
Shift From a Skilled Workforce to Specialist Workforce
Yes! This is the world governed by technology. Automation will steal many jobs, but will also create many more jobs. Is it good or is it bad? Well, transition and up-gradation are always challenging and painful. Some will gain and some will lose. But if all those who are going to lose, upgrade themselves then no one will lose and all will gain. This has been and always been the mantra for managing change. Be it transit from bow-arrow to guns or from abacus to computers. Now we are again standing at a cusp of change and very swift and widespread. This time too technology is the protagonist. Driverless cars are threatening to put drivers out of the business but are providing more jobs in teaching machines how to drive and navigate the roads. Thousands of jobs are created in manufacturing such cars. Similarly, data scientists, neural networking programmers, etc are gaining momentum. Specialists are winning in every field.
Even those who are not linked to technology are gaining. People are getting paid to experience technology and give its feedback to the developers. User’s experience has gained primacy as the corporate tech giants battle for market domination. Even teenagers are using mobile phones and become social influencers. Kids are developing android applications. People who have a van are delivering products and are now a part of the logistics industry and if you own a fleet of vans, then you are a logistical service provider. The opportunities are many for those who are open to the new world. People are fast acquiring skills and are warming up to the new future. Make yourself count amongst them.
Remember everyone is important. Just the skills have changed the way of execution. Make technology your friend and it’ll take you to places. Become efficient in handling computers, tablets, and navigating the internet. Even job hunting now is also done on the internet. Log in to the digital world.
Rise of Gig Economy
If you have heard about ‘freelancing’, then you already know about the gig-economy. It has short-term contracts, projects, or jobs in return for money. That’s it! nothing more complex. It works both ways. As a worker, you can accept or reject a job or contract as per your comfort and payment requirements. As an employer, you can hold competitive bids to get the desired skills. If you want better, you shell out more. With the pandemic, there were job cuts, pay cuts, and lockdowns. As a result, work from home and remote working became a norm for some time and both companies and employees explored its pros and cons.
But let me show you the competitive side of all this. As a gig worker who wishes to retain his/her freedom while earning money, you always needed to be competitive and updated with your skills. Building a portfolio and experience is time taking and a hard process. But pays in the end. On the flip side, there are no social guarantee contracts and things like paid leave, office trips, etc. You are on your own. Manage your freedom with responsibility. Thus, the Gig economy could be a boom for highly talented people but a bane if you have skills that are widely present. Competitive pricing can lower your wages too. If you are looking for job security, then the gig economy is not for you. But if you have certain skills and are pretty sure that companies will run to have an employee like you for which they are ready to pay, then the gig economy is your heaven.
By 2022, the Gig economy will expand exponentially. It is already on an expansion spree and the pandemic has given it wings. Many governments around the globe have formulated policies for Gig economy sector. Flex working is now becoming an accepted mode of working. Shared workspaces are used by many entrepreneurs to reduce the cost burden. Seems the modern world is fast coming with modern solutions. It’s time to become smart, competitive, and tech-oriented.
Rise in Inequality and Poverty
Life is not fair and it never promised it to be. And I for sure, promised to update you on all the upcoming trends, be it positive or negative. Not just a rosy picture but also the ugly side of the world. Post-pandemic is a challenging world, full of transition, and nothing settled. But one thing for sure is that the gap between the rich and poor will expand more than it has ever existed in human history. That does not mean it will be the final stand. Future may set new records for this inequality. With more deprived and vulnerable population and less but much powerful affluent class.
The core of all this is the world based on technology and collaborative working. People who have the control or management of technology will be the new top-chart billionaires. Be it Microsoft, Tesla, Hyperloop, Amazon Web Services, Apple, or similar high-tech innovation-based industries. Also, people who are engaged in its development and distribution will surely share a smaller yet significant part of the money-pie. But all those who are in non-tech jobs will see the difference in their salaries and profits. An artist, painter, factory manager, supervisor, etc will surely see a diminished role. You don’t need many supervisors or managerial staff if you have mostly robotic arms to manufacture. The number of managers is not needed if you are out-sourcing or employing freelancers. Prices of real estates are sky-rocketing and young millennials are finding it hard to accumulate all the wealth to purchase a property in one go. Those silver-spoon babies with inherited wealth stand the chance of deriving benefits and multiplying their wealth as they don’t have many rents or EMI’s to pay.
Thus we see many redundant skills and outdated people due to the fast pace of technological development and the rise of the gig economy. But detesting technology is not the answer. You need to upgrade your skills. To give you an example, a regular office Bob upgraded his skill from a desk job record keeper to a video editor who learned to operate a video-editing software from Youtube! He got hired by some multimedia advertisement agency.
Upgrading and learning a new skill is quintessential for surviving in the new future. Lear, grow, and earn should be your mantra to not just survive but to thrive. The ‘new future’, calls for a new approach to learning and to work. Get plugged into the changes and enjoy the ride.
Lab-Grown Meat
While you are wondering for the first time, people in Singapore are having a snack which contains a paty of lab grown meat. Welcome to the age of bio-technolgy. Ever heard about tissue engineering and regenerative technologies. Well lets leave it to geeks and go for world tour. Next nation to where this is expanding is ‘Japan’. Wait! Yes, Mitsubishi Corp. has partnered with Aleph Farms Ltd. of Israel to serve Japanese plates with lab grown beef. Cargill Inc. is an American food company which is planning to sell its lab grown meat in Asian markets in 2021.
Have you heard of Memphis Meats. This company recieved funding to around $17 Million from the likes of Bill Gates and same, Cargill.
If you love fancy names, lab grown meat is also known as clean meat.Lab grown meat is different from plant-based meat. I know how you are feeling. Vegans are smiling. Good, at least people are happy. But since both are grown in lab, they are called cultured or cultivated meat (you don’t have to use this term while buying). When it comes to cellular structure, both lab-grown meat and plant-based meat are similar to the meat which can be now said as conventional/ classical meat. Pea-protein or soy and other similar plants are used to make plant-based meat. While animal-stem cells are used to create the ‘lab grown meat’. Just to sound geeky, the stem cells which are building blocks of all tissues and organs are combined with carbohydrates and amino acids, soon muscle and other stuff starts to grow, much similar to a biological body. Thus, we have meat which is though artificial but similar to conventional meat.
If you are living in Delhi (India), a company called Clear Meat is working on cultured chicken. If you are in Spain then checkout for a company called Cubiq Foods. French company Gourmet also wants to remain in the forefront. Similarly Turkey and Netherlands are also looking in the same direction and we have already talked about USA.
Why lab-grown meat? Well, if you are not an alien, you already know a lot about a minute thing called, ‘Coronavirus’. The lab-grown mean will minimize the risk of zoonotic diseases. Finally. Chinese will be able to eat whatever they like, hopefully.
Also to mention the benefit of not killing the animals and reducing ill-treatment of animals and their butchery for our tastes. Did you like, Covid-19 killing you for its survival? Stop doing the same, if possible. Then it comes to being eco-friendly. But right now, it is costly. Maybe when being rolled out commercially on a larger scale, then prices will come down. Till then, enjoy biting the piece of natural flesh with spices and sauce. Monsters! (Yey, I am also one of you)
Enhanced and Genetically Modified Soldiers to Cyborgs
Again bio-technology. Seems important term. Get used to it.
We all like super-heroes maybe we will like super soldiers too. Is it the search for the ultimate killing machine? Could be. Every nation does it. Why? If your enemies are upgrading, then you should or else your citizens could face extinction. Don’t believe me, check what happened to peaceful and non-violent nations in the past. Let us all rise and blame China for doing this. Old trick. During the Iraq war, the British military used Modafinil pills which were meant to boost the brainpower of troops. What about ‘crystal meth’ aka methamphetamine used by Nazis which helped their troops to stay awake and alert for a much longer duration than a normal human being.Yeah! we all like cheat sheets.
Now coming to blaming China. We all should. It is a custom. They are tinkering with human DNA which is meant to make their soldiers have increased strength, stamina and some scientists have even gone further to talk of regeneration of limbs, similar to lizard and night vision. Seems like a demon. Not to forget, the Chinese have already mastered gene-editing technology to make GMO babies.
Well, the USA has been working on developing an exoskeleton similar to Iron Man which is meant to enhance the muscle power of US soldiers. Ah! need to catch up with China. DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency) is studying skins of geckos to make products to help fighters climb walls. Also, on the list is the bio-technology application where body fat is to be used efficiently to produce energy so that soldiers can go on without eating. Hey! I also need it, ‘Green Tea’ does not work.
The French military has a panel for bio-ethics. Wow. If ethics are there, we don’t need wars. Anyways. France has identified the need to have “operational superiority”, so the bio-ethics panel has given the green-signal to upgrade the armed forces to improve, “physical, cognitive, perceptive and psychological capacities” and to “develop treatments to prevent pain, stress, and fatigue, and substances that would improve mental resilience if a soldier were taken a prisoner.” Though soldier will retain his humanity and decide in terms of the force to apply. In layman’s terms, it all will be achieved by implanting chips, that green-colored thing. So we will be having French Cyborgs or bio-augmented soldiers. Merci.
5G Communications to be Widely Implemented
Welcome to more than high-speed data rates and total internet-based communications. How much high speed is high for you. Well, 5G data delivery can peak up to 20 GigaBytes Per Second going by IMT-2020 requirements. Already phones and devices are there to touch at least 7+ Giga Bytes Per Second of download rate. To throw some jargon, it will be expanding to use mmWave which means Mili-meter Wave. Just to give you the perspective, it is already being used in military applications, remote sensing, astronomy, radars, and now coming into the handheld device, you will soon be purchasing.
Yes, 5G enabled phones are already on the market shelves. Okay, order it online. Or wait, the competition will bring the prices down within the next 6-7 months. Many nations have kick-started the process to roll out 5G networks. Some are still in the trial and feasibility studies phase. And others are waking up to bureaucratic paper works, you know policy formulations, etc, indirect way of saying at least let us show we are still relevant by slowing the process.
For the new initiates, 5th Generation technology will expand the usage of cloud-based services, augmented reality, and yes we all love it, high-speed multiplayer games. Studies have pegged $13.2 trillion worth of economic benefits and more than 22.3 trillion jobs will be created by 5G. I don’t know about birds, human brains, and phone radiations yet. Will tell you, if my brain cells survived.
IoT (Internet of Things) is already penetrating our lives. Hey! don’t look here and there. Ask Alexa to turn down the TV volume or switch off the bathroom light you forgot again! 5G will make this IoT thing to scale up like never before. Welcome to the cities of the future. Don’t worry, 4G will not be replaced and both will happily live together making you happy. But if you are still in the stone age of 2nd Generation communications, ouch, save money to buy a new smartphone. It is the only wise way up.
The Era of Rebellions, Revolutions, and Uprisings
Pay cuts, layoffs, unemployment were already taking the toll on social life in the pre-Covid world. Even in the previous housing bubble crash, those who got severely hurt were not able to recover fully and the Covid strike has made the matters worse. We see a global surge in dis-satisfaction against governments and present systems of economy. Not just ‘Black Lives Matter’, but other forms of discrimination that have become systemic are forcing people to take action.
But there are also vested interests in play. The rise of fake news, deployment of propaganda, use of mob to target businesses, and the shroud of ‘freedom of speech’ to spread lies are now standardized tools in the asymmetric wars fought today. Many PR (Public Relation) agencies work overtime to sow the seeds of dissatisfaction amongst the target group or against a particular target group. Many times a genuine movement is hijacked by people with nefarious interests. Thus we see the ugly side of the internet, AI, and big data being deployed to paint whatever picture the big-wigs want to.
On the other hand, social media is also getting exposed to making people addict by deploying psychological studies in developing their interface and then censoring the content. Another means of trying to control the minds of the masses. But masses are getting smarter and learning fast. People are now verifying the news or views they see, they connect and try to find the truth. It is the rise of a responsible citizen. The ‘new future’, is filled with rebellions against disinformation campaigns, an uprising against discriminatory economic systems where the hard worker is denied of his/her just share, and revolution to re-shape the world.
The world is at the stage of transition and such a trend is expected to last for more than a decade and we are going to witness major demonstrations and call for changes. You can consider it a prophesy, though neither I am claiming to be a Nostradamus nor Baba Vanga. But I do predict it with confidence.
Massive Jump in Cyber Attacks
A digital world like the real world has its own risks. During the pandemic when the whole world plugged into the internet, so the criminals too. In the computing world, we call them cyber criminals. They hack into your bank accounts, steal your email passwords, try to remote control your computers, take images and contact lists from your phone etc. Even during the pandemic global cyber-security agencies reported a massive surge in cyber crimes. It includes many things like accessing your computer, luring you to use a website that just looks like your own bank login page and then stealing your username and password, giving you some false links, and installing some malicious software that sends regular information from your computer to hackers.
Con-artists love the anonymity and the reach of the internet. Have you ever received the email that you won millions of dollars in a lottery in which you never participated? Yes! that’s a scam. How will it unfold? Simple, you call them, they’ll confirm that you won. Then they’ll ask for identity cards, which you’ll happily provide. Suddenly they’ll tell you, that since you are the winner they have sent the money, BUT due to tax compliance, you need to pay a little tax amount. Though not much you’ll happily agree. Suppose a million-dollar lottery will have a $25,000 tax, you will be ready to pay. They’ll give you a link to pay, and then you’ll pay. Then every morning you’ll see the rising sun waiting for your lottery amount to come to your lovely bank account. Now your wait is eternal, as it is not going to happen. They ran with your hard-earned $25,000. A similar modus operandi is used when suddenly you have an email promising you a job in an exotic location with the remuneration almost 30 times what you can earn. Greed is the guiding philosophy. It’s not they are smart, it’s your greed that blinds you.
As more and more people will join the digital world, many people will fall prey to the ever-evolving and innovative ideas of these scamsters. Anti-virus and other security providers are also hunting those criminals and the race is on. All you need is to be vigilant and think before you click.
Wide Usage of Cryptocurrencies
Taking you to a very traditional and logical thinking pattern instead of citing industry reports will be more meaningful here. The world started with salt, metal coins then came paper currency. And with the advent of computers, we all jumped to online-banking, mobile banking, and now digital wallets. Cryptocurrency is just a very logical conclusion to this long process where we are exchanging some value to get some goods and services. Bitcoin and Blockchain are fast becoming the norm. Don’t feel left out while other people are making fortunes in digital currencies also known as cryptocurrencies. There is still a large part of the population that is still sitting on the fence and observing the evolution of cryptocurrencies. Some are still in the know-how to understand this unconventional process of cryptocurrency mining and blockchain. Others are investing or I should put it like buying and selling of these currencies.
By the end of 2020 Bitcoin, which is the oldest cryptocurrency to be used commercially saw a major jump. It came almost closer to give competition to ‘gold’ for an avenue for investment destination. Skeptics are still worried where the currency is not backed by any federal bank or there are no legal mechanisms for protection or mitigation. But still, the way it is being adopted and used is surprising. Many nations, on one hand, has banned Bitcoin, but on the other hand, have announced to release their own cryptocurrencies.
European Union, The United States of America, Canada has already ruled in favor of cryptocurrency. China and Russia have opted to launch their own cryptocurrencies. While India’s Supreme Court has quashed the central government order to ban cryptocurrency. Seems the global tide is turning in favor of this digital currency. Though the concerns by skeptics should be factored in while investing in such asset classes. But the highlight is that yes, these are going to shape our future for sure. Either they’ll challenge conventional currencies and gold itself or they’ll become one of the biggest financial scams of the century.
Quantum Computing
Many studies have hinted that by 2030 we will be having a multibillion-dollar ‘Quantum Industry’. Sectors that will be impacted include – finance, energy, IT communications, healthcare, security, entertainment, space research, and Astro-physics. For starters, the current computing world is based on the semiconductor industry, where you have basic 1s and 0s which are called bits. Either you have ‘1’ or ‘0’. This is called a binary system. This binary system and its manipulation by computers have taken us to the moon, calculate our blood pressure from a smartwatch, do 3-D printing, and the rest of the story you know. Quantum starts where the capacity of modern computers ends.
Well, you know even there is an ongoing race for ‘Quantum Supremacy’ between the US, India, and China. India was a world leader in Quantum Research till the mid-70s and then lagged behind. Now it is again in the race. China in the meantime has developed the fastest Quantum Computer named Jiuzhang. It is light-based. India has its own Super-Computing Mission backed by sovereign funding, which is meant to provide the super-computing ability to its research institutions and has entered its Phase-II.
If you want to brag about some technical things in your friend circle, here I’ll give you a few. Firstly, that big words like God-Particle and Particle Physics, yes you are talking about its applications in the form of Quantum Computing. Quantum computing belongs to Quantum Physics. The physics of sub-atomic particles. The funny part is, that it defies all the logic of classical physics. So if you have slept in Physics class, till now, well done. You are still on board. Things like teleportation are linked to Quantum physics, where a subatomic particle has the possibility of being present at more than two places. Lost! Okay, there can be 1 or 0 in modern computers but Quantum Computers can have three positions which include 1s, 0s, and a ‘Super Position’. If with 2 possibilities your classical computers were able to crunch so much data and took you from drawing a straight line to Artificial Intelligence, then Quantum Computers with 3 or more possibilities opens a world of much higher, sophisticated, and faster achievements.
Increased Surveillance, Tracking and Facial Recognition Technology
2021 is looking to increased surveillance with the help of emerging cutting edge technology. Do you know, facial recognition technology was widely used by many nations to enforce lockdown restrictions. Some of the names are France, Russia, Hong Kong, etc. The homework and practice of facial recognition have already being done on a global scale when you were unlocking your phones and tablets by showing your beautiful faces to them. It is not science fiction, you can say that now it will be deployed on a larger scale. Well, do you know that the rate of growth of the facial recognition industry is almost 15% per annum? Well, am not going to lecture on human rights and what this technology can do in the hands of dictatorial regimes and spy agencies. Leaving it to your imagination.
The next kid on the block is ‘Artificial Intelligence’, which is learning to think and make decisions, just like humans. Thanks to ‘Machine Learning’ and ‘Deep Learning’. Video analytics was a piece of evolving news just past year, now it is ready for deployment. Guess! your CCTV footage can do a lot more. Imagination has already taken off. Seems those privacy laws are going to take a punch in the face.
Geo-location tracking was already being done by mobile applications and computers without informing you. Anyway, you were also clicking, ‘AGREE’ button of every application giving them a free run. DOn’t be guilty. We all do. During a pandemic, mobile applications recorded not just your locations but people who came in close vicinity to you, and then their contacts and chain goes on. Guess what! The mobile surveillance which was behind the shadow is not out in the open and already been deployed while you are reading this. You already see the advertisements of products on webpages of what you have searched online yesterday.
Now not starting a lecture on ‘Big Data Analysis’ and the synergy it creates with ‘Data Science’ and ‘Internet of Things’. Just get this, whatever you do is being analyzed and then processed to predict, what are you going to do. And the accuracy of predictions is increasing. Boo.
Get Updated
New Future calls for new capabilities built on the values we have cultured till now. Machines are here to help humans and reduce the burden so that we can live our lives more meaningfully. Making the world a better place should be the idea and not to out-smart people. The new future is all about letting machines do the boring part while the humans do the loving part. Striving for the work-life balance and nurturing relationships are the new norms. As much time is saved as work is delegated to machines, plug into the human inside you.
RAJAT JHINGAN
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