There are 5 Macro Trends that will shape the Future. These are:
- The Age of Automation
- The Demise of Driving
- A Re-Think of Retail
- A Printable World
- The Triumph of the Tiny
Which of these Trends do you anticipate will have the biggest impact and state why?
The triumph of the tiny because this will save precious resources as population grows
All will have an impact however the Age of Automation seems to be the driver. Perhaps the conspiracy theorists will be proven right. Will we know who or what we are dealing with? It is unlikely and the implications are mind blowing.
Yes Karen it is scary to think that computers will be smarter than us and perhaps in control of us.
I see the Age of Automation will have the greatest impact given that many jobs will be undertaken with the use of AI. The obvious implications being that workforce make up will change significantly and the way educators prepare people for jobs will need to change. The change to work / life balance may be a positive outcome of this change.
Yes Brad we may be out of work! I imagine our work profiles will change to match new services that will be needed.
The Age of Automation lays the foundation for how each other trend will impact . What happens with cars, retail, manufacturing and our medical world is dependent on both the speed and extent of how we shift from one level to the next within the Age of Automation.
The impact of these changes will also effect people from different socio-economic backgrounds at different rates. The divide between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ may become more significant. Access to technology will be a key determinant of success.
All will have an impact in some way especially looking at the effects on retail, manufacturing and careers/jobs for the students we are teaching. What will the future of jobs look like? What will the retail sector look like? We have seen due to COVID restrictions the impact of online sales and ordering of food online and what has happened to unemployment world wide, It concerns me to think this may become the new norm for shopping/ ordering food/Manufacturing. I was fascinated by the drone delivery aspect with flying warehouses, this certainly seems like the original Jetson TV series becoming… Read more »
All 5 Macro Trends will have a huge impact on our future and I believe the Demise of Driving will be have the biggest impact. Driverless cars, trucks and trains will make a big difference to life and it worries me about employment rates. However, It astounds me to think about how students I teach and my own children will live in a very different world to us. Exciting yet scary all at the same time!
Yes I agree, scary and exciting all at the same time
I believe that all five trends will contribute and impact the way we live and relate within society as we know it today. Driverless cars meaning that people never experiencing driving and tiny technology allowing medical breakthroughs.
I think that all 5 will have an impact on the way that we operate and interact with each other. The most exciting for me is the Triumph of the Tiny, particularly the medical implications for people who are ill.
A worrying aspect is the implications that some will have on unemployment figures around the world.
I think that the Macro Trend that will have the biggest impact is the Age of Automation. The demise of driving, a re-think of retail and the triumph of tiny all include elements of automation.
Yes very true Ashley, can not quite get my head around the idea of driverless cars though!!!
Totally agree. Our understanding of how AI impacts on our economies as a whole will have the biggest impact on what our economic world looks like into the future. This in itself has significant implications for how our societies look and function.
I believe that The Age of Automation is an area that will continue to have a huge impact on our daily lives. We know that we are already seeing this area impact our lives in many ways and I believe it will only expand. Most people possess a smartphone that is already capturing information about their lives and responding even when we don’t ask it to! Many of us have been dumbfounded that after a conversation about a particular topic, we are suddenly receiving advertising and offers without having to enter anything into a search engine or similar!
Hi Matthew the smart phone has the potential to act as a leveler in how students from lower socio – economic backgrounds access technology and as a result continues to enable them to take part in where the technological world takes us. For many it won’t be the ability to use English at a level to produce a structured essay but rather the skill and capacity to use the likes of smartphones in a way they can have an understanding of the changing world of Automation.
I think the TRIUMPH of the TINY as it will have a huge impact on Global Health
I think the TRIUMPH of the TINY as it will have a huge impact on global health.
The Triumph of the Tiny because this will help decrease our global health bill. I also think the Age of Automation will see unemployment rise.
The Triumph of the tiny will have the biggest impact as it can be applied across so many industries
Advances in medical technologies have had massive impacts on the ability of society to improve. This Triumph of the Tiny is a really exciting change.
Interesting that the manual and variable jobs are considered safe. Will that in turn mean they are financially better?
Hi Sarah, I think that the higher the level of skill involved would be linked to higher pay etc. Also it might depend on a person’s ability to complete many manual jobs flexibly rather than the same task over and over again in order to keep up with the advancements.
I think the Printable world will have the greatest impact on society. It will have a huge impact on employment and industries, including retail, wholesale, manufacturing and design. This will limit the job opportunities in this area.
Sarah I think the Printable World also has the possibility to shrink our world, limiting the need to interact or explore as we can bring so much of it within reach with new technology. Could be a mental health issue for many.
the re-think of the retail world is most likely to have an impact on our youth as they will lose the opportunity to gain employment experience. The skill set that is currently required, however will change. The increased focus on problem solving and human connection skills will be massive.
I agree Bianca. Not only employment experience but skills in working with others, taking direction, manual labour skills. While the jobs may look different and mechanisation will take over some aspects the principle behind the skills will always be required
While the changes to retail will be accessed/used by the largest number of people I think the greatest impact on society will be the application of technology to improve the world – printing medical components, accessing nano technologies to cure, repair and increase both the quality of life and longevity of the individual.
I couldn’t agree more, Raylene. It’s very exciting to think of the advancements that will come from this kind of technology. To be able to improve the quality of life for people with less invasive and more targeted treatments for health issues will be a huge improvement and potentially accessible by more people around the world.
I think the technology in terms of medical advances is very exciting. In terms of retail and building, I feel that these inventions are happening because people wonder if they can, or wanting to make money. I wonder if they thought about whether they should. I don’t know which trend is going to advance quickest, but I’m seeing lots of people without work, and the divide between rich and poor getting greater. There are people in our society who aren’t academic. If shelves are being stacked by robots and deliveries by robots and all hands on jobs being done by… Read more »
Naomi, yes I hear what you are saying for ‘whether we should’. Particularly around AI interacting and forming its own language that we don’t understand or can control.
I believe they will all benefit our society greatly and in very exciting ways. We have already seen printable respirators during the pandemic. However, I see Triumph of the Tiny will benefit the health in an amazing way, fighting cancers etc for all ages, saving money on much medical research and treatment and progressing forward with a healthier population.
I agree totally, Triumph of the Tiny will benefit the health and welfare of individuals increasingly and improve quality of life and longevity of the individual more frequently and in more varied ways as time goes by.
The idea of being able to have internal robotic nano-tech that resolves health issues is really exciting. How many people can this improve the quality of life for? As long as the technology is affordable for the people, not just the super wealthy, it has the potential to hugely increase the health of our society.
The changes in driverless cars is going to be huge game changer. The idea of not being in control and relying on a computer to make life changing decisions is mind blowing. I have difficulty in riding in driverless trains.
I wonder whether there will be a medical advancement in car sickness, then I will be happy to be a passenger.
You can already see the start of driver less cars – assisted parking which is available in some car models. I am not sure how I feel about driver less cars, I like being in control while travelling and already hate being a passenger. I think this would take a lot of getting used to for me.
Certainly will change the laws covering drivers and third party damage.
Does this mean that i will no longer need to have a Driver’s licence? My mum can keep her driverless car forever. Taxis will be a thing of the past?
Not having to worry about parking in a busy city again will be a bonus…..send the car home or to pick up someone else while you’re at work. No worries about who the ‘designated driver’ is anymore, everyone’s a passenger!
The benefits of not having congestion in major cities and possible less pollution is interesting.
A rethink of retailing will probably have the widest impact on society as it appears readily accessible to all. To not line up at Aldi or Coles sounds amazing, and great for social distancing 🙂
I’m concerned i have to tick the “I’m not a robot” each time haha.
Sign me up! I love the idea of being able to walk in and walk out of the store without having to line up! I think a lot of people will have issues with privacy and ticking the ‘I’m not a robot’ each time. I am not sure people are ready for the change
How will we find out what’s going on in the world if we don’t get to chat in line at the supermarket Nig? Almost feel like online shopping with home delivery has already superseded the walk in / walk out retail experience.
My first thought about the most impactful macro trend was the possibility of a printable world, more specifically the possibility to print food. This could negate famine and the possibility of an international food shortage that faces humanity as our population continues to burgeon.
Or, of course AI, I’ve seen terminator…
This is also a means to give the homeless safety and dignity.
I was impressed by the ability to print homes and buildings. The opportunity to eliminate homelessness across the worlds cities, is fabulous. There would also be an impact on social cost as people with safe housing are less likely to end up incarcerated or ill and hospitalised.
The demise of the car industry reminds me of all those sci-fi tv shows where the cars try to kill us. Like, it’s happened in Doctor Who at least 8 times…
I’m thinking if I would trade my life for more naps… The answer is yes. Nap me up Scotty. Naps for life.
We will be in driverless cars before we know it – interesting for out students and their new skills sets
The demise of driving. Watching the uber business model spread throughout the world and change the taxi industry. This has nothing on what automation will bring very soon to our world of transport and how we and goods move between places. From a view point of safety, and 24 hr availability in the logistics movement on our roads. When the technology, rigorously tested as it has been, develops, I think that the general public will be quick to use and support automation. Especially when the statistics of fatalities on our roads fall due to the increase of automated vehicles. In-turn… Read more »
I absolutely agree David. I think the roads will be a safer place. There would be a huge loss of jobs when we think of trucks, buses, trains, cars, taxis etc.
I thought there were some really fascinating possibilities raised in those videos, especially in terms of 3D printing and driverless cars/drones. however I think that the Age of Automation will have the most profound impact as it’s so difficult to predict how AI will develop once let ‘out of the box’, plus AI will be a huge factor in driving so many of the other trends that were identified (driverless cars, walk out stores etc.).
I remember reading about how the computers will get exponentially smarter than us a few years ago and it really frightened me. Then, I think I purposefully forgot about it so that I could go back to functioning in my daily life.
Now they’ve brought it all back up again. Bring me my tin-foil hat!
Age of Automation: What struck me most was when the students were struggling to use a desktop computer and Windows ’95. It’s fascinating to me how quickly technology changes. I started my teaching career ten years ago in Alberta, Canada, and Smartboards were being touted as the “latest and greatest” in technology, and cost around $25,000. Before I left for Australia in Decemeber, our school board was removing them, because they had become “obsolete”. One area of challenge I see for our students now is that as we move to Chromebooks and technology, I think we’re doing a disservice to… Read more »
Hi Kelsey, great point about Smartboards – they seem most often to be used as projectors and nothing else. it always amazes me how quickly technology can come to seem ‘retro’. The concept of ‘digital natives’ is also fascinating in the context of today’s students since, as you say, so many of them struggle with basic tasks like typing, using Word effectively or even searching for information online.
I think the drive less cars will be excellent and will hopefully reduce acciden.ts
Fully. But I do love driving. I will miss that. Except that I won’t because I’ll be napping.
I will miss the driving experience
I think that insurance will be a major issue – who is at fault the vehicle?
I think the progress of artificial intelligence, and subsequent replacement of human with robot, will have the most impact on society. This may possibly result in a dumbing down of future generations. Things that were previously learned will be delegated to the robot knowledge base. Maybe this will mean increased expert knowledge? Or possibly, having technology on hand with an almost infinite knowledge base will increase the uniquely human functions of the mind. Whatever they are ???
That is a really good point I hadn’t considered: the loss of knowledge. Like, yeah, if we don’t need to know it, why bother learning it? (an attitude we come across frequently as teachers) An attitude which would only further elicit human’s subservience to AI overlords.
This will likely impact the way we view privacy. Already we accept receiving targeted mail or suggested advertisements, because it’s convenient. Have we forgotten the medicare breach of information? What breach will be too far?
The rethink of retail will have significant consequences for students working part time to support families as well as ‘unskilled’ school leaver positions. Adaptability, critical thinking and resilience will need to feature in future education. It’s not the technology or the trends but the ability of our students to be capable, critical and adaptable which is key
Hey Jowen! Yes, I was thinking exactly the same thing. Especially because if we cut out all the people involved in production and retail, where does that leave employment opportunities?
Hi Jowen, absolutely, it was fascinating to see how almost every development cited in those talks will lead to potentially massive losses of jobs, especially in unskilled, casual and entry-level positions that so many students rely on to support themselves at school and uni. If these things come to pass its going to be a huge problem for future policy makers to overcome.
The triumph of the Tiny will have the biggest impact – having the technology to detect tumours and other illnesses will be game changing in terms of the longevity of life.
Yes! Isn’t that incredible? I think in the future they’ll look back on our surgeries and practices like we look back at the dark ages and bloodletting. I’m picturing a giant machine that you go into and it just FIXES you. It would be incredible if technology could support the health industry (without creating killer-nano-bots, obviously!)
A game changer, the penicillin of this century.
I agree
I agree that all of these is having now and will continue to have massive implications for society as a whole. What struck me was the thought that in the near future kids wont have to have their drivers licence or learn to drive a car. This has always been a big milestone for young people to go from being kids and reliant on their parents to get them around, to becoming independent young adults ready to take on the world. But Who knows what the future will bring??? its all pretty mind blowing.
Hi Rhonda, I agree that attaining one’s Driver’s Licence is a big ‘coming of age’ milestone. I hope in the future maybe there will be new ones. I am also concerned about how many humans in the auto industry (truck drivers etc) will be out of a job?
It’s interesting to see what exciting things will be there to replace the fun of driving and what employment everyone will have once manufacturing, insurance etc have gone.
I believe that the ‘Age of Automation’ will have the biggest impact of everyone’s day to day lives. Developing artificial intelligence will definitely change the way people do, think and act. Younger generations may benefit from this as it may be classified as a source of help. However, for the older generations it may be considered a struggle as it will result in them having difficulties with the change in technology and this may be quite challenging.
Excellent point Tania. The challenges need to be balanced with the benefits
Hi Tania, I agree that the Age of Automation will have the biggest impact on day to day lives. I am wondering if the newer and better technology might actually be easier for older generations as it will become more automated?
In the forever changing world we live in, I can see that all 5 Macro Trends have already, and will continue at an increasingly rapid rate, impacted society across all levels. The one trend which I feel has had a significant impact on society to date is The Age of Automation and the use of AI across all aspects of human life. The fact that we have already adapted and accepted the inclusion of Siri and Alexa into our lives and homes, as well as utilising the world of apps at our fingertips, has increased human efficiency and has left… Read more »
Hi Chris the thing about SIRI and ALEXA is still very generational because the younger ones have gained this technology and run with it. Many older people still struggle using technology like ATMS and computers and the speed at which these changes are happening is very frightening for some. I know my parents still have a bank book and go into the branch to take out money. There is not much trust in their minds,
All 5 Macro Trends will have a huge impact in shaping the future, however I feel that The Age of Automation will have the greatest impact. There are many benefits that will make life easier, however I do worry about level 3- Artificial Super Intelligence and the huge problems that it may cause.
Level 3 ASI… we might be able to work from home more often, Bev, while they run our classrooms. The coding and protocols which run this level are astounding. It reminds me of i-Robot.
What a fantastic presentation, this may sound like fence sitting but each technology will have a major impact on our futures; if really pressed i would go with AI and automation, I feel it will see the demise of the working world as we know it.
If you’ve seen Wall-E, that is what this whole presentation made me think of. That yes we’ll see the demise of the working world, but the possible demise of humanity if we are not careful.
I agree. I’m definitely wondering what the purpose of humanity will be aside from being a consumer. What jobs will be left for non-academic people?
In all honesty all of these trends will have a massive impact. However I think with the developments of AI and Automation, and where they are predicting it to go in the future will also have a further impact on the other 4 trends and the capabilities of them. It is worrying that this will impact on many employment areas for students in the future and the education system needs to develop and keep up as we need to address what we are teaching students so that they will be equipped for many of these future jobs. As we will… Read more »
Michelle, I completely agree with you. Where will our less academic kids go to find future work? I’m not saying that people who work in retail / trades etc are not intelligent – they have skills that are valued and to be applauded. After all, what would we do without our essential retail / trade workers at the moment during the current situation.
Totally agree, there will be totally different ways of doing things in certain industries and there are those who will not have the capacity for those new skills. But there will always be change and it is just as important as ever to teach our students to be problem solvers and collaborate with others to find solutions. With new technologies there will be new opportunities for all types of capabilities.
I found these 5 Macro Trends very interesting. I think the Demise of Driving will have the biggest impact as it will change the way we move from one place to another. Will people still own cars? or will it be easier to use Air Uber to go from one destination to another.
That is quite an interesting view Georgia. With the world rapidly changing, we have many questions however, will be answered in a matter of time. I wonder if there will be less or more cars on the road, impacting our environment.
We may see more “phone zombies” on the streets as they try and navigate to their ride. People loosing their sense of direction as they rely on their App. Just recently we saw the devastation the bushfires caused and the destruction of communications. Similarly, in a pandemic, what measures would be in place for hygiene.
All of the five ‘macro trends’ are very interesting. I think the one that will have the most impact is automation. While there are many benefits to automation, along with a quality of life improvement, it’s hard to predict what challenges we would face. Predicting what stop-gaps would be required to prevent issues in the future would require constant human interaction. Arguably, the benefits of automation would outweigh the risk.
Great points Ben. I agree it is very hard to predict what issues we will face in the future.
Great points Ben. I totally agree with you about the the age of automation having the most impact. The world is rapidly changing and it will negatively and positively impact everyone.
Drones are cool. However with automation comes breaches of privacy. How about a machine reading facial expressions with someone like Parkinson’s, won’t this cause embarrassment and people being self-conscious?
Personally I can see all of these trends having a significant impact on the world we currently know. Although there are many positive attributes that may be a consequence of each of these, I am fearful that technology is getting ahead of us all. In regard to this, what does future employment really look like for humans? How will this impact the ability of socio-economic status to change for humans, and more concerning what will the future look like for our children. Consequently the area I am most concerned about is the age of automation and the printable world. Although… Read more »
Completely agree with Benn. This will have serious impacts on the economy and future employment of young people. Although there are benefits to each trend – do we really know and understand how far they are going to go?
I completely agree Benn, it is all a little overwhelming and frightening for our children and our children’s children… I think possible because the changes are so rapid.
Same here Ben I think AI and Automation are going to change our world dramatically. Not sure how positive an impact it will have. Look at what is happening now around how people are living during this pandemic. People are going back to basics and learning how to cook, spending more time with family, starting vegie gardens. These are all things society has been moving away from and it has been a reality check for many.
Great point Benn , the world is changing to fast know.
I agree
Each trend was more mind blowing than the next. I can’t imagine the courses and skills that we would be expected to teach secondary students to get them into entry level jobs for these. The manufacturing at home sounds exciting even for artists. Where do I buy shares for this? no seriously!
AI and the advent of super intelligence will accelerate the development of all other areas. As the machine will be able to do things faster and with more accuracy than humans and can solve problems that currently hold up processes.
Will Humans be able to keep up with this super intelligence? Great point Steven.
The triumph of the tiny as this would enable cancer breakthroughs and treatments of many medical ailments. MOTES could also eventually replace knee cartilage etc for arthritis sufferers, or clear blood clots.
I completely agree. I think this is absolutely fascinating and research in the medical area using such technology will provide health support that may be inaccessible for many people that are suffering from life threatening or debilitating conditions.
With so many people and families affected by various medical conditions and the ongoing implications linked with these, the Triumph of the Tiny within the medical world is definitely one we all should be accepting with open arms. It is amazing to think that the accuracy of surgery, improved recovery time, and identifying and eradicating cancer can all be improved astronomically with the development of nano technology. AND how cool will it be to not have to wash the car ever again – a nice added bonus.
I would think as it has played out for a while now, that the Age of Automation will still be the biggest influence on the next 10-15 years. As the big business strive to improve profits, they continue to replace people with machines, this does create new jobs but for the uneducated, reduces employment opportunities.
Your probably right. However, left unchecked our technology may make us no more significant than pawn’s to the Artificial Intelligence we have created.
I agree with you Brian Automation and AI will drive our new economy.
I agree with Brianna Honess in that the triumph of the tiny will continue to play a significant impact on our lives- the ability of nanotechnology to detect cancer cells is amazing. The population is ageing and these will become increasing utilised to treat cancers and maybe even to treat viruses (to speed up the production of vaccines to help prevent or reduce the impact of future pandemic diseases.
I agree, Carolyn, the benefit to our medical science is huge. Let’s hope we all have enough Super when its our time to retire…. our bodies could be kept going. Exciting times.
It is truly amazing to see the advances that have already been made in the medical world to help people who are sick. The idea that there is more to come is exciting and I am hopeful it speeds up finding vaccines, treatments and possibly more!
I think we will see major improvements to our lives in the areas of health and ageing through advances in nanotechnology. ‘The triumph of the tiny’ will have a great impact.
I agree with you I think that the ‘triumph of the tiny’ will play a significant role in preventing and treating diseases and improve and speed up and improve the reliability and the production of vaccines so that the world does not experience pandemics like we are today.
It will be interesting to see the changes in the curriculums taught in schools once these “industries” start requesting upskilled youth. Stem ? and Steam
Absolutely! The age of nanotechnology is going to be amazing to see develop in our lifetime and positively improve the lives of our children. From improving medical procedures to relieving us from the burden of cleaning our cars, this technology really highlights the rapid advances humans have made in a short period of time.
I anticipate the Triumph of the Tiny will have a significant impact on design and innovation particularly on medicine. The ability to treat and diagnose a person could be easier to achieve and perhaps eliminate human error. Nano technology could assist people who either physically can’t or not able not to carry out a task e.g. washing a car. Nano technology cleaning your clothes as you wear them would certainly change my life! Will nano technology be expensive, safe and readily available for people would certainly be a challenge.
I agree Alex in regard to medicine. Imagine how much through automation and nanotechnology we will improve the lives of the elderly.
Eliminating the human error factor, Alex, is a really important aspect. Also, freeing up doctors/surgeons to do other specialist tasks would be really beneficial.
I can see huge benefits in the medical field. Improving people’s health and eliminating risks can only be a benefit. I feel the social/ emotional side of consulting with a doctor/ surgeon is also very important and must maintained.
I anticipate the demise of driving and the printable world may have the biggest impact. The possibilities for the printable world through 3D printing are particularly exciting and beneficial for the medical world. I found the possibility of skin grafts fascinating. The large scale construction currently being testing in China was also very interesting and highlighted the possible advances for the future.
The demise of driving could also have a huge impact on society. Imagining this almost seam surreal. However, the room for error and reliability does concern me.
Great points, Tara. The benefits to the medical field are really interesting.
Well said Tara. I am also excited about the medical advances.
I believe that “A Printable World” will have a large impact on our future. I believe that this will be seen as a priority, particularly due to its current usage and positive impact in the medical field. I thought it was also interesting to think about the use of 3D printers in construction – it would be interesting to see the cost of doing this as opposed to building in the current manner – the cost of materials, but also the cost of manual labour. I wonder whether this would be an affordable and practical means to provide housing in… Read more »
Yes I agree that this will have a big impact on our future. While the printable world seems practical and cost efficient for the construction companies, what will this mean for our unemployment rate? What will happen to the trades involved with manual labour? They will no longer exist, which means many aspects of our education system will need to change.
3D printers could make construction easier for people and more accessible in areas with limited resources but as Fiona points out, manual labour costs associated with building 3D constructions would be interesting to analyse.
I agree that it will have a huge impact on our futures, but I wonder what the power costs would be for this technology. Would it have an overall negative impact? Will this technology get quicker in the future and require less energy? What are the energy or environmental costs of the materials and power needed for this technology on a larger scale/
I think that the rethink of retail is already having an impact on our world in the current climate of COVID19. Already we are seeing more online shopping models as well as continued use of self checkouts in supermarkets. I believe the changes that are proposed with amazon and walmart are not too far away and will further impact the future employment of such positions. I particularly like the idea of drones delivering items, but again, this takes away jobs from delivery drivers .
This is definitely a very real thought in our current situation! It is comforting to think that we could have a totally contactless delivery of items, though no doubt a difficult move for those hiring delivery drivers! It will be interesting to see moving forward, the companies that thrive due to their accessibility, online presence and forward thinking in terms of AI.
I agree. It is also interesting to imagine how this will impact youth job opportunities. Almost all seniors begin in retail/customer service while at studying.