Future Ten-se

Ten technological advancements in the next decade that will improve quality of life but also result in multiple scares.

- Harichandan Arakali

Advances in many technology-driven fields are on the cusp of maturity. In a decade, several of them will likely be accepted as part of our everyday lives. They will influence how we live, work and entertain ourselves. Most will be promoted by businesses first, which will then lead to acceptance by society at large. While they will make life easier, some of them will bring fears of loss of independence and control over our lives. Others, if and when misused, will threaten our very existence. Here is a futuristic look at how the world is likely to change in the next decade with technology and innovations.

1. FLYING TAXIS AND HYPERLOOP

Mobility will be drastically different and everything won’t be hi-tech either. As more of Gen-Z enter the workforce, health- and environment-conscious people will prefer to walk more or use bicycles. Public transport is likely to become more comfortable and reliable too. Also, people might use modes of transport that don’t exist today, such as on-demand flying taxis.

An experiment in the area of flying taxis—with the financial and technological heft needed to succeed—is being orchestrated by ride-sharing service provider Uber Technologies. As part of its Uber Elevate programme, it plans to deploy Uber Air—electric aerial vehicles capable of vertical take-off and landing. The company has decided on Dallas and Los Angeles for its first trials and said last August that the third location would be either in India, Japan, Australia, Brazil or France.