Technological Advances

In the last decade, technology has evolved exponentially, with countries like Canada taking the lead in the speedy adoption of the latest trends. For instance, the North American country boasts of having one of the widest 5G coverage globally. Moreover, its iGaming scene is also quickly catching up with that of the USA and European countries thanks to the increasing popularity of online slots Canada games.

Of course, it’s nearly impossible to accurately predict what new technology will be available in the next five years. Heck, when Elon Musk first invested in Tesla, who would have even dreamed that purely electric vehicles would go mainstream in less than a decade? Nonetheless, by observing industry patterns, you can at least get a good idea of what the next half-century might have in store for us. Read on to find out more:

Quantum Computing

Quantum computing is approaching an era of commercialization, as governments and major institutions can already use it. Currently, there are two popular schools of thought on the design of quantum computers, which differ in the type of qubits and their orientation.

The first idea focuses on superconducting qubits (qubits made from superconducting material), where qubits are oriented vertically or horizontally. The second approach uses trapped ion or quantum dot qubits (qubits made from ions and quantum dots), where the qubits are oriented diagonally or along a 2D plane. Many experts predict that within ten years, both types will be built and commercially available, but it may take longer for practical applications to emerge, especially in mainstream use.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) will become widespread in many fields, particularly when making commercial decisions such as computerized brokering or autonomous trading robots. As we speak, AI already exists on the following levels:

• Knowledge-based expert systems or neural networks, where the goal is to mimic human thought processes.
• Image recognition, where successful algorithms enable the recognition of objects and scenes in a large number of natural images.
• Software applications that mimic human cognitive functions, such as human chess or matchmaking programs. This is a long way from reality and perhaps has little potential for commercial use.

VR and AR

Virtual Reality (VR) technology, like AI, is now being incorporated into everything from entertainment and education to science, medicine and apparel. VR will enable us to interact with virtual worlds as we do with real ones, but in ways that have never been possible. This will result in higher productivity, better decision-making and less environmental impact on the planet.

Meanwhile, Augmented Reality (AR) is the concept of blending the real world with a computer-generated image. Besides entertainment applications, augmenting a person’s reality with computer-generated images can allow for faster location and tracking of objects, such as weapons or explosives.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the future of computing and may include some form of AI. The ability to shrink computing to subatomic size may provide massive processing power and leave us with even more powerful quantum computers. Atom-scale quantum computers might be able to perform calculations that are exponentially more difficult than the most powerful supercomputers. These devices will also make solar power generation possible via solar cells that become much smaller than our current silicon-based technology.

Self-Driving Cars/Transportation

Self-driving cars are becoming a reality. While safety features are built into the software that controls these autonomous vehicles, they can be hacked, which poses a huge problem. What if a terrorist wanted to remotely hijack an entire fleet of self-driving cars to cause massive destruction? In any event, whether self-driving cars become mainstream or not, this is an area where sophisticated cybercriminals can wreak havoc.

3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing

3D printing is coming onto the radar as a powerful tool for making products – including weapons – out of metal or plastic. With 3D printers, the concept of “designer drugs” – which use 3D printers to create controlled substances codenamed “stereolithography” and “morphallurgy” – can be applied. The future of additive manufacturing may include nanotubes and space-based manufacturing.

Genomics/Personalized Medicine

Genome sequencing is leading to a new wave of personalized medicine. Health care will be personal and unique for each patient based on their genetic make-up and specific circumstances. Patients can personalize health care by collecting genomic data by having their health information run through a series of algorithms to yield an optimal treatment plan.

Robotic Surgery, Nursing and Rehabilitation

We are already seeing robotic surgery in hospitals across different regions, allowing doctors to perform major surgeries with minimal human involvement. However, these robots still require intense supervision by doctors when performing complex surgeries. When not engaged in surgery, these robots can be used to perform routine tasks such as drafting test results and keeping medical records current. In addition to robotic surgery, nurses and rehabilitation teams can be replaced by robotic nurses and rehabilitation robots.

Nowadays, there are so many innovations, and new technology is rampantly changing all aspects of life. Therefore, we should brace ourselves for a more efficient and exciting future thanks to advanced tech innovations!