My predictions for technology in the upcoming decade

BY CHRISTINA GWIRA

This past decade has brought a lot of change, both good and bad, for technology. It goes without saying that the decade that is ahead of us will also bring with itself its own share of moral and corrupt additions to the way that we use, interact with and participate in the technological advances that are all around us. As this is the last edition of the year, I wanted to share some of the technological advances that we can look forward to potentially experiencing in the decade that is upon us. Now, if you’ve followed the newspaper closely, as well as checked into our online TV network on Youtube, Periscope and Facebook, you’ll be familiar with some of the terms that we’ll be discussing today. That’s because the very first episode that I participated in on my TCNTV foreshadowed this article that you are reading today.

Blockchain
By and large everyone has heard of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin and the like. Blockchain, simply put in its most rudimentary form… is a list. Yes, you read that right, blockchain, the foundation of cypotcurrencies the world over is at its core, just a list, albeit an ever-growing list of records. These records are called blocks and they are linked together using cryptography. Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques that can be used to secure communication. Each block of the Blockchain contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and data. What makes Blockchain so powerful is the fact that it can be added to, but it is very, very hard to change. What does this mean for the future? I predict that it means that more and more of our lives that we live can become hidden from good old “big brother”. I foresee a battle coming up that will pit those who are for the ultimate sharing of technology and date… and those who will do all they can to keep it hidden from you, me and the masses. Which brings us to our next segment…

Artificial intelligence
We are going to be encountering more and more instances of AI (artificial intelligence) in our daily lives. When we expect Google to know and autocorrect our search fields, this is AI; when we want an app to remember our last order and order it automatically for us, we’re using AI. When we talk to Fido, and they recognize our phone number, and pull up our account balance, we’re using AI. I think that there are multiple uses to how AI can be used. A good example that we could have in the future is that of a suicide prevention line. By recognizing the breathing, intonation and speech of a caller, it could be possible that an ambulance or other necessary aid could be sent to the caller’s location. As with all advances, it has its good and its bad moments. I foresee that artificial intelligence will become a greater part of our daily, living experience. Speaking of artificial intelligence, this final form of technology is one that I’ve recently discovered which has the capacity to change life as we know if considerably, and that is…

Autonomous things
Whereas the Google Home (now called Nest) and Alexas of the world all connect to each other through the internet, creating the phrase internet of things, autonomous things takes this up one stage further. Imagine your car, knowing exactly where to go, how far to go and how to park… without any human interaction at all. Imagine a drone knowing how to navigate weather conditions, obstacles and interactions with animals, without having to report back to ground control. What if I told you that this was happening right here, right now, on this timeline that we are on? Of all the technological advances that are happening around us – AR, VR, IOT and the lot – autonomous things (also known as AuT) are in my opinion, what could potentially be the end of us all. I foresee a future where the overall heightened consciousness of the planet will be able to be fused with autonomous things. Did you know that it is currently possible to see the auras or energy fields of humans? What are the possibilities if one could harness this energy, and use it to power things, or to control things or to store one’s most intimate and purest data and use it, without having to answer to anyone? A frightful possibility.

I wish that I could end this article on a high note, but I cannot. I cannot say that all technology is good, especially when those who are creating it and programming it look and react in the same way. As a people, my prayer, my hope, is that we will make it a point to immerse ourselves not only into learning more about technology as a whole, but going a step further and creating and utilizing this technology not only for monetary gain, but also to protect ourselves and build up our homelands. It is not enough now to say that society is holding us back. It is not enough now to say that we cannot move forward or move further. On the contrary, we are living in the best time cycle, the greatest good and possibility is right within our reach. My hope for the future, for the new decade ahead of us is that we will jump head first into these emerging technologies and use them to create new worlds and worlds within worlds where we can be our true free selves. Will this all happen within the next decade? I’m not sure, but I am sure that knowledge is the key to getting us there. Let’s take control of our lives, let’s take control of our future, let’s take control of technology in 2020 and beyond my people.