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?
I think the re-think of Retail will be a game changer because it is happening so quickly now. Due to the Covid restrictions world wide ,Retail has had to change dramatically. Retail was already on the change due to the impact of online shopping. This has become the norm . Most people are experiencing online shopping . Add to this Covid and retail is really being forced to change. People are open to change. Lining up at checkouts is very demanding on a time poor society. This will affect the everyday person and their lifestlye more so than anything else.
It seems that all 5 macro trends have there place to effect the future world of tomorrow however Artificial Intelligence and the rise of it through to Super AI will I believe will have the most impact not only on the students of today but on the world of tomorrow. AI is already so embedded in all of our proceeses and the move to make it more apart of our everyday living world means that we will all have to adapt quite quickly to this changing technology. The thought of robotic technology taking over more and more areas of our… Read more »
AI seems to be the dominant ingredient underlying everything – I agree with everyone who has posted. It seems that the world we knew, even in the early 2000’s has changed in leaps and bounds and who knows ”where to next?” The next 10 years will probably change the world exponentially in ways we can’t imagine. Thinking of the future for our students is daunting – how do we prepare them? Perhaps by being open minded, resilient and highly creative.
Very likely the printable world will have the biggest impact as it withdraws a whole lot of intermediatories like manufactures and removes many layers of jobs already present. I think it does however require a high level of service to be able to manage printables which will be the new serive industry.
There are many remarkable advancements over the last few years that are going to shape and transform our lives in the future if they haven’t already started to do so. Predicting which will have the biggest impact is difficult as many of these trends are interconnected. While I can see that AI, driverless cars, nano technology and 3D printing are set to change the world in big ways, I think that in the near future the ‘Retail Rethink’ will have the biggest impact as shopping is something we all do. Technologies that enable consumers to shop without manual check out… Read more »
I think the printable world will have a huge impact, not only on retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, but also on regulatory bodies. There will need to be a whole re-think of how 3D printing will be regulated.
Regulation is important especially with printable food, but servicing the new printables is also a whole new skill zone.
Totally agree – regulating this industry may be difficult – especially if we all have 3-D printers at home!
Although I think that “A printable world” is a force to be reckoned with, the age of automation is embedded in our daily lives. My interest is mainly in vocational education and this has a huge impact on the professional careers of our students.
Els, I think you’re right. Automation will greatly affect how very many jobs are done, especially those that are now wholly manual.
This is so valid. The careers that haven’t been invented yet can’t be taught!
I think the ‘Age of Automation’ will have the biggest impact: the nature of work, the types of jobs (including loss of full industries and occupations as well as the creation of new ones), the way we communicate and, fundamentally, make sense of the world. around us.
I agree with your comment Michelle.
I agree with your comment that AI will have a big impact.
My concern is about the data that powers Artificial intelligence. As more and more data is collected, both with and without our permission, our privacy becomes increasingly compromised. Those who control and own the most powerful digital systems in the future will increasingly have a control over the rest of us.
There is always the concern about privacy and power shifting with new technology advances. There has to be checks and balances put in place for all industries and accountability. I agree that privacy and permission to access information is always an ongoing issue for all consumers. Just how regulation will be done to preserve this I’m not sure.
110% Michelle. It is a very scary but very exciting time to be living in. Communication is the key.
The Age of Automation
I think that each of these macro trends will impact our society. Automation is probably the most powerful and is having an effect now in our daily lives. Automation has enabled the creation and growth of other macro trends.
Yes I agree, a very good point, automation has enabled the growth of the other trends.
Although all trends will bring big changes to our lives, I think that the trend for 3D printing is the one that will bring the biggest impact. The ability to print off many things ourselves would certainly be more convenient but it would adversely affect manufacturing and transport industries and reduce the need to train and employ people in those fields. The speed of change would largely depend on the cost of 3D printers, I would think. It may be sometime before they are accessible to the average person.
Yes it is amazing how 3D printing is changing our world. You make a valid point about adversely impacting manufacturing and yet having technology incredibly accessible to so many people.
Yes Denise I agree with your comment. The amount of damage this would do to so many industries and ireparable damage is insurmountable. However we must also see the amount of good it is doing especially for our medical world. There is so much potential to do good with this technology.
I think the rethink of retailing will have the biggest impact because the way business work in retail will change dramatically and fit well with the new way of life which we are experiencing since end of 2019 as the new normal allowing limited contact, sizeable savings, flexibility to drive higher sales.
Although I partially agree with your comment Tersem, I think that the increase of the online consumer (since Covid) is here to stay.
I can see that from these 5 discussion points that some of them are more advanced than others. ‘A printable world’ is not new, however the application in new and different areas will push it further. Of more concern should be the raw materials currently being used – plastics.
I think it will ‘A Re-think of Retail,’ as Amazon will gain unprecedented mass surveillance globally, in addition to reshaping retail to grow their business even more exponentially.
I agree that the ‘Retail Rethink’ will have a big impact on businesses like Amazon, allowing them to dominate the market. The flow-on effect will be the demise of smaller businesses physical stores and shopping centres and result in a narrowing of choices rather than expanding them.
I think it is going to be the age of automation. As I see it automation is the bases for all of the other 4 areas as it underpins them all. Scary thoughts as to where it will lead us
I think AI will have the biggest impact.
You just have to use Facebook to see how they send ads targeted specifically to us based on our search histories .
Walking through an airport with NO PASSPORT? WOW!
Automation appears to be the underlying key to all of the other 4 points. I have to wonder how the facial recognition would be used currently in the tracing of Covid-19. That would be a real game changer.
AI seems to have been around for a long time when you think about it (even in the movies -No 5 is Alive!) so thinking of all the professions that this will impact is enormous. I believe AI underlines everything from automation to logistics to retail – it’s all based on the this artificial intelligence technology – so perhaps there will need to be more programmers rather than labourers/workers; or will AI take this over as well? It’s somewhat scary to try to predict what will happen in the next 20-50 years.
A re-think in retail
This will be an exciting time in retail to be forefront in change which would provide a better lifestyle for many people.
It is certainly going to change the retail world. All I can see left for retail sector that we currently know is going to be the small businesses of niche markets.
Yes, the lifetstyle benefits will be hand-in-hand with mass job losses, but hopefully other jobs will emerge to replace them.
For sure there will be job losses and / or job changes. retail is all about the experience so there may be opportunities in other areas
This new technology will be a gain changer, however the impact on job loss will certainly be considerable.
I think the age of automation will have the biggest impact because of rising of artificial intelligence in many hospitality industry such as hotel services and even the check-in services in airports .
I am fascinated by the conversation between a robot and human being about the booking for an appointment.
We will see it as a very easy way to organise our lives. But it does leave you wondering about how fast our lives will become due to it.
I agree. There is the potential for identity theft and privacy issues, too.
It is the combination of these 5 (and others) combined with what this course calls “AI” and big data that will change our world forever. There are many futures to fear: • runaway algorithms that conclude the Earth would be better off without the current destructive infestation of absurd humans and wipe us out, • nano technology or gene manipulation that does us in by accident, • short term (human) thinkers that use algorithms to stuff their pockets with cash and power by efficiently manipulating human behaviour but neglect to notice the effect that humankind descends into nihilism, decay and… Read more »
I think change occurs every minute and embracing change is the way to move forward . The 5 macro trends will have an impact on the way things are done and seen , however I think that the demise of driving and the Age of Automation . As not having to drive your self to work or on holidays and having a vehicle do this for you will be a pretty cool thing to see . Automation is already occur somewhat as who would have considered paying your bills online or speaking with a virtual person in a chat room… Read more »
Mark,
I agree that driverless cars will be an innovation that will have huge impacts. I think it will lessen the number of cars on the road, it might encourage ride sharing (?), but it will also need a really big re-think of how we do things at present. Michael McQueen brought up the issue of insurance of driverless cars – who’s at fault – but it will also change our relationship with car ownership – maintenance, space for parking, licenses, registration for a few.
I think the world of automation will have the biggest impact because it will affect many jobs. This is good as repetitive work will be automated but it may happen at a speed that is so fast we don’t have time to retrain our population into other careers,
The future of work is indeed a concern. Young adults now have such a challenge finding work – and even a uni degree provides no guarantee of steady work. With the inevitable job losses that technology will continue to bring, young people will need to be able to ‘read’ the work-scape well otherwise they could be investing a lot of time and money gaining education and training that is of limited long-term use.
I think the World of Tiny will have a massive impact as it can be incorporated into the world or automation and the printable world.
This is just incredible the things that are already taking place, it looks like we live in science fiction movie. I believe that all five trends are already shaping our future, perhaps the Age of Automation is leading with the most impacts in many fields.
Yes I agree automation will be responsible for a huge shift in the types of jobs people will have.
I think the Printable World will have the biggest impact in the shortest time. I saw a “3D doll size print out” of one of the players on “8 of 10 Cats Watch Countdown” (this was an old series) recently. It was accurate and marvellous. When 3D printers are in homes (like microwaves), we’ll be able to create a range of items we want at home from practical art to regularly used items. We cut out all stages of production, except design, possibly. This will make the greenies happy too (to some degree)- production having less impact on the environment.… Read more »
Yes, i agree that the ‘printable world’ may have the biggest impact but this will be jeopardised by the raw material used for these creations – i.e.; currently plastics.
I can see all five macro trends shaping every area of our futures. It certainly makes me think of how as educators this will change not only the content that we teach but how we prepare our students for the not too distant future when these will be a reality. I think that the Age of Automation will have the most significant initial impact as it also has the potential to influences the other trends too.
Yes Georgie – how do we as educators adapt to ensure we keep our students minds open to accepting and adapting to the changes.
The way we teach could also be impacted by technology and AI. If there is a better way of teaching maths for example why can’t all students get access. Perhaps teachers will be more like facilitators and motivators utilising resources created and delivered by AI.
I agree Georgie – there are many manufacturing processes fully automated requiring less employees – workers need to have a higher skill set to operate, program and troubleshoot. The workforce of the future will need to more highly educated and adaptable.
This is just incredible, to think all of this will take place possibly in my life time, definitely in my children’s life time is fascinating. The printable future of creating skin from a human for a skin graft is just incredible, the nano-technology that will help so many people suffering with disease and disorders is just out of this world. I think all of these will clearly have a massive impact, but i LOVE the fact a robot can sense your having an off day and send a person to come and check on you or assist you – yes… Read more »
It is interesting that we are seeing the ability of a robot to sense emotions, I agree, possibly wonderful but also somewhat overwhelming at the same time.
Karalyn, good point, we’ll still crave human contact especially when we need medical support. I must agree that AI automation is remarkable in assisting in surgery making the “surgeons hands” extremely accurate. The skin grafts and cartilage being a 3D printable item, being a fabulous invention too!
And yet…I spent many hours recently – at the height of the Covid crisis in Australia – trying to get past a virtual assistant to organise a service from my Telco. Incredibly frustrating!!
The is a fascinating look into the world of tomorrow – much closer now with so much already in development and testing phases. Definitely the automation will have the most impact. All the other trends involve or depend on the progression of automation and AI. The nanobots for medical research will rely on AI to recognise cancer cells, etc. It wont be long before our 3D printers themselves connect online and locate the files they need after scanning an object you point your phone at. Each will drive the others. UberDrones will use facial recognition to pick up passengers and… Read more »
I agree Susan – all the trends are interrelated – it’s almost a chicken and the egg situation.
Personally I was most ‘wow’ed by the automated cars/Uber Drones and how this will contribute to all facets of our lives in terms of travel, potential workplaces, multiple residences (why not live in Brisbane but work in Sydney, if you’re not going to have to drive yourself? Can the ‘drive’ down be a remote-working day, perhaps?). The prospect of AI intelligence getting out of hand is very scary for many of us, and I don’t know what on earth can be done to curtail this given people are working in a renegade and hyperspeed fashion on this race to the… Read more »
I already travel interstate for work – it would be nice to travel while in sleep hours, or catch a movie on the road 🙂
I too travel for work 3-4hrs per day… at the moment I’m driving (covid), which is incredibly tiring. In the past travelling by train i have loved watching movies, reading or sleeping. Gosh i even completed two uni degrees during my travel time.
I do hope this technology allows for more human down time – rather than the fight to get more things done / the rat race we are currently in, I hope it allows us to start focusing on the people around us, our loved ones and creating more community.
I agree Karalyn however imagine having driverless technology you could wok from your vechile while travelling between locations ,attend meetings ,catch a movie ,do a virtual tour ?
Yes, this notion of driverless cars has a lot more to it than I realised. The opportunity is endless as to what we will be able to do in terms of travel.
Amber, I love the idea of automated cars too! Since Australia has stopped manufacturing cars I hope we’ll design and produce AI cars for Uber like hire. I see these future technology pathways as ways of strengthening the Aussie economy and making us an independent nation. We’re too reliant on other economies for basic goods at present. Back to AI cars – as I get older, living in a country town (Railway Station has been abandoned) with neighbouring towns 30mins away, Sydney 3/5 hrs away and Canberra 2hrs away, I’d love to jump in an AI car and safely travel… Read more »
Alison , An Australian company has just announced to build electric cars and possible AI cars in the future .This technology is embracing where we have to go into clean reliable cars . it would also be great to have driverless vehicles to travel .pla
I can see the massive changes that all 5 of these trends will have on our world. When looking at it from a perspective of how it will affect the tasks I complete in my daily life, I think it the Age of Automation that will have the most impact, followed by the Printable World. I can visualise my pantry and fridge automatically ordering groceries as I use them. I can also see that it may reduce the worry of having elderly parents in their own home, as their well-being can be monitored by their phones and other devices (not… Read more »
I agree, the ability to reduce worry, particularly for elderly parents or isolated individuals and increased access to care for those that are disadvantaged is a very good point.
WOW you sense the immensity of the change that has been and that is coming! I think the age of automation will impact on our daily lives. We see it now and once we’ve moved from Artificial Narrow Intelligence to general and then super our lives we be very different from what they are today. When I think about the progress over the last 100 years, that will be nothing compared to what will happen over the next 20 or 30 years!
I agree Gaye. Scary, don’t you think, the rapidity with which technology now travels? I can barely keep up myself and I’m in my 30s!
yes, we cant really even imagine the future. In less than 20 years my grandchildren are experiencing a massively different world to my own children. What is scary is that the darker underworld to all this seems to be operating at a much faster pace.
This technology is quite scary, things are certainly changing quite rapidly. I worry about the being able to keep up with all the technological changes and the inpact if will have on future generations.
The Triumph of the Tiny will have the biggest impact, I think. 1.medicine/health where there will be diseases/conditions/illnesses treated/cured. 2. Agriculture, viticulture to improve yields and manage disease in crops and livestock 3. Construction/Engineering 4. Retail 5. Link with the Printable World – print your own nano medical treatment.
Hi Helen, you can see how its application can be so widespread! microbots in the blood stream seems freaky now but will be so common place.
I think the Age of Automation will be the biggest game changer! We have robots being able to do unbelievable things alread and they are only at the first level, artificial narrow intelligence. Its mind blowing thinking this is basic yet there are two more levels.
The medical field will benefit from this. As it does already, with a lesser recovery time, less invasive procedures…and the motes that Michael was explaining and what they do already.
Its just amazing but also a little scary
Completely agree Aimee – its exciting and a little overwhelming at the same time. I’m curious to see the impact it will have on us ‘the humans’ will we become people of leisure? will our robots work for us? its so fascinating!
Yes Aimee I agree the Age of Automation seems to be the driving force for tomorrow’s future!
Certainly I believe all five trends will shape our future and they are all have a place moving forward. To me currently it is The age of automation that is making the biggest impact in our lives. Artificial intelligence has become the norm and is so influential in our lives without our knowledge. The medical field is going to benefit in a huge way. Already Robots performing precision surgery, which are non invasive and forms of testing have been a boon to the medical field. Mini capsule cameras and micro dust are already being used as we speak
yes, artificial intelligence has definitely become the norm to us. we do not even think about the implications we just partake in it willingly. it is a little daunting to realise that A. I. will be more intelligent than humans at one stage.
Wow! All the macro trends give me a bit of a head spin. The demise of driving has a big impact. There are a lot of positive outcomes, however think about the introduced risks – just of the top of my head, the extra airspace activity that has to be managed, the risk of technology going wrong and potential accidents, the risk of the technology being used for wrong-doing. This side of the technology needs to be thought about too.
Barb,
I would have to agree with you on this! Its mind blowing. Its crazy when you think about how fast technology has moved over the last 20 od years! I have alot of concerns with all of the macro trends….like you say there are huge risks of accidents, wrong doings, etc!
I believe the biggest impact would be the triumph of the tiny, imagine what this would mean in the field of medicine and the cure of of present day incurable sickness, i would also love to see the use of micro dust (motes) to be added in diets of people suffering from deadly allergies and also in diabetes management
Yes, I see this as having a significant impact on the world in a range of areas apart from the medical world.
I am leaning toward “The demise of driving” I think this will impact many careers. It will replace some jobs and influence an increased expectation of productivity in others. Imagine being able to email, conduct meetings, delivering online lessons and more…. from your drone or car.
I am not sure about printable food and its nutritional value…… But I think the idea of printable materials for surgeries and construction will take off.
I agree Liz.
It does make one wonder!
Yes the idea of printable food seems completely wrong – if our world becomes more automated then surely making our own food is still a pleasure that we have more time to do! 3D printing is very useful.
I anticipate that the trend that will have the biggest impact and long lasting impact will be the “Age of Automation”. There has been significant progress in this field in the past few decades take for example the Humaniod type robots, I remember reading that one scientist created one that is just like him. The first two levels of AI narrow and general intelligence are pretty much in society and we didn’t really get a choice. I am would be more cautious about the artificial super intelligence and it’s possibilities.
I think the trend that will have the biggest impact is “A printable World”. I think the impacts will be significant, far reaching and fast. I feel there are many advantages but more disadvantages related to this technology including: * With respect to construction industry (safer processes; cost savings in transportation; manufacturing; delays; handling of hazardous materials etc) * Medicine – artificial limbs; cell regeneration; stem cell growth etc * limited only by ones imagination – any design can be printed on any scale * Equity among people (depending on costs of printers – poorer people will have access to… Read more »
a printable world would be very beneficial for people who loose limbs and other body parts and would love to see the use in cell printing for degenerative eye disorders ,hearing and other degenerative diseases
I am leaning toward the Age of Automation as having the biggest impact in the short term. Automation is apart of our every day lives and will continue to grow and develop. I wonder how long it will be before we are sending emails via voice recognition (probably already doing this) and requesting the email has a particular mood, eg. serious but polite or happy and playful 🙂
yes i agree. Just look at the smart watches, you can talk to them and send a text which is almost the same as an email.
I anticipate that the triumph of the tiny will have the biggest impact on our future, as nanotechnology has the power to influence all of the other trends.
Nanotechnology sounds truly amazing and so excited to see the developments in the medical profession.
I think this area will have the most positive impact on human beings and their quality of life. Nano technology will reduce the need for invasive and exploratory surgery. We will probably start seeing people living even longer – perhaps even extend to embryonic and neonatal surgeries.
yes nano tech is very interesting and very complex. I also agree it will have a huge impact on our future and have the power to influence lots of things that are beyond our control.
So true casey, it will definately influence the other macro trends!
Yes, absolutely. Nano tech is, now that I think about it, probably the biggest game-changer of the lot. I wish the segment had gone longer than 2 minutes, as I feel there was much more to learn about it.
Yes I agree Casey, the triumph of the tiny sounds really exciting with so many possibilities!
I think all AI will have an impact on the new generation that is coming into the world, possibly for the best, not sure.
AI is going impact on all of us in all aspects of life. I guess we need to ready the next generation as well as ourselves to the change by being adaptable, flexible and learning to embrace the new.
I also think AI will be a massive game changer.
I think AI already has a big impact on our daily lives and will continue to do so. From ‘Friend Suggestions’ in Facebook to ads targeted specifically to us based on our search histories to predictive text we all see AI in action several times a day. Due to the financial pay offs AI provides to the business world and the fact that it impacts most of us on a daily basis already I think AI will only continue to permeate more areas of our lives.
I agree Joanne.
I think the age of automation will have the biggest impact as it seems to underpin the other trends . the thought of artificial super intelligence is a confronting thought. I feel that narrow AI and general AI are already part of our lives and their continued development will continue to impact on the way we live and work and experience day to day life .
automation would be helpful to reduce congestion on roads, by having set paths and constant speeds, less intersections and traffic lights, it will also reduce the near misses and accidents on the road by reducing the human error factor yes as seen on the videos who would be held responsible if there is an accident.
A re-think of Retail – Pine and Gilmore had been talking about the “experience economy” 20 years ago and it is finally here! I think its great that we are finally at a point were we are “staging experiences” and I’d like to add to that “staging virtual experiences”. Retail will have a huge impact as it will mean technology can play a bigger role in creating service experiences that have the Wow! factor and are memorable and unique for the shopper. It will be interesting to see how the casual retail role will change especially for young people who… Read more »
Hi Meryem, yes casual retail and the opportunity it brings to young people starting out on their careers. What will casual employment look like ‘when robots take over the world’ 🙂
Which of these will have the greatest impact? All of them will have huge impacts. A term I’ve heard bandied about is “disruption”. In this context, it means turning things on their head and learning to live in an entirely new world.
I think I would have to award the Triumph of the Tiny as having the most impact on individuals.
The Triumph of the Tiny has my vote for the biggest impact on society – this will affect all of the other macro trends – making printers smaller, cars (driver-less or not) more compact, phones that could be embedded under the skin – everything will be at your fingertips -literally. It will be an instant fix – may be that broken power point will be able to fix itself – it will be embedded with a micro-printer – the future really is becoming only limited by our imaginations.
I agree, Wendy. The possibilities of nanotechnologies are limitless.
yes agreed the triumph of the tiny will be pivotal in the medical field. Treating blood related diseases, helping organs function, skin grafts and treating cancers will certainly benefit from this technology.
I believe the Rise of AI will have the biggest impact – it seems to underpin many of the other trends. As a teacher who trains Disability Support Workers I am starting to think about the impact that each of these trends will have for support work but also for people with disability. Robots, driving, retail, 3D printing and nano bots – the possibilities are endless. I cannot wait to see how each of these trends will impact our industry in the future.
AIs are amazing but imagine if the AIs are on the micro level – for those with disabilities for example a paraplegic may be able to walk if the ‘smart dust’ can bridge the nerve damage – all of these trends will have huge impacts on our future and our industry
Wow! Imagine all the people whose lives could be altered for the better. What about all of us living with bad backs. What if Nanobots could 3D print cartridge and repair damaged backs. I know I would be grateful.
clearly this was used during the COVID isolation in China- food deliveries to patients. Facial recognition and surveillance is widely used in certain countries already and this is pretty scary
HI I think the Triumph of the tiny will be the biggest impact. Reasons: Cancers/tumours will be identified at a root cause early and with the injection of the nano bot smart dust which causes a blood clotting enzyme that will float around the body, identify tumours, inject the thrombin, blood supply to the tumour will be cut off and the tumour will be shrunk within 2 days. There will be no time wasted in going through various procedures to identify tumours. Early intervention and treatment at the same time. No loss of job and income due to what cancer… Read more »
I agree I think Tiny will triumph – everything that can be made smaller will be – and may be we will carry around our portable 3-D food printer and I’ll never have to pack my lunch (or the kids lunches) again.
I agree, Priscilla. The possibilities in the medical fields are so encouraging.
I find it both exciting and terrifying with the types of innovation discussed. Exciting to think how life can be so much easier but as a security teacher understanding how this innovation can be manipulated for criminal purposes.
Great point Kathy. I agree. Where is privacy and security in all of this? Hopefully the AI can keep the hackers at bay : )
The age of automation seems to underpin the other trends – the thought of artificial super intelligence is quite confronting! I think these trends are already part of our lives and it will be interesting to watch their development and impact on the way we live, work and experience life – the potential for health and wellness and the thought that I may one day be able to manufacturer the goods I need is quite mind blowing!