Why Do I Delve Into Possible Futures?

Many people may not realize it, but we are in the midst of a digital revolution. Technology is advancing at an ever-increasing pace. Technically, we are ready; we are just waiting for the masses to catch up. At least, that’s what one might expect if they follow technological developments. However, predicting the societal effects is not easy. On my blog, I aim to regularly post articles about developments and the potential impact they could have on current society and its future.

What Do I Expect the Future to Look Like?

Perhaps I am optimistic, but I envision the future as a digital Athens. Take ancient Athens, in the time of Socrates, for example – a city full of art and philosophy, a prosperous city where slaves did the dirty work. A digital Athens would mean that the future will be a prosperous society, only the slaves will be replaced by robots. I believe in the words of Michio Kaku, a renowned theoretical physicist. He expects that the future will feature an open democracy with extensive participation from citizens.

What Developments Do I See on the Horizon?

Looking at technological developments, I expect the “average” citizen to gain control over more processes. In the future, we, the individual citizens, will have access to the highest quality products. Consider robotics, such as the self-driving car, which will allow us all to get behind the wheel even after drinking. If we have a package, our personal drone will deliver it through the window. I also foresee that we will all have a 3D printer at home, with which we can eventually build our own houses, including interiors. Patients will have a chip implanted in their bodies to monitor their health. If necessary, we could visit the doctor in a virtual world. It will probably take a decade before these developments are accepted in our society, but all these examples are technically already possible.

Why Am I So Curious About These Developments?

I am training myself to be an intrapreneur, someone who behaves entrepreneurially within an existing organization. This means I must think about strategic decisions within organizations. The business model must be continuously adapted to survive in the fast-paced digital era. By immersing myself in the latest developments, I can see how other companies are preparing for the future. Predicting the future is, and remains, a difficult subject, as even large companies struggle to keep up due to the pace of rapid developments.

According to forecasts, a large portion of the Fortune 500 companies will disappear in the next 10 years. Many large companies from the sixties are no longer active today. However, there are companies that have timely adapted their business model, like Philips or Google. Philips has managed to position itself in a smaller sector and has specialized in healthcare in time. Google, on the other hand, has broadened its thinking. Alphabet is now involved in cars, healthcare, wind energy, and banking, in addition to being a search engine.

I want to write more articles like this in the future because it forces me to do research and think about the future. Next month, I will discuss developments surrounding computer chips. In the meantime, I have posted a video below where a citizen has built a castle with their own 3D printer. See you next time!