The World in 2040

Summary

Exponential technology growth will change the world rapidly by 2040. Surprisingly, predictions are that nearly everyone will use the metaverse. The investment Bank Citi predicts the metaverse will be worth US$13 Trillion by 2030.

Once you have a headset, there are really no costs. So Mark Zutterburg may be right and although shares in Meta, formerly Facebook, are way down, that may change dramatically.

Virtual reality will permeate almost everything we do from virtual assistants to AI (Artificial Intelligence) teachers. This will transform education.

Autonomous vehicles will dominate and cities will be transformed to accommodate them.

Service Robots will be used for personal and professional use. Examples are medical robots performing surgery, firefighting robots, security patrols, cleaning public places, delivery robots, etc. Manufacturing jobs will largely disappear.

CRISPR and gene therapies will minimise disease.

Quantum computers will become mainstream to the general public, via the cloud. They will solve the most complex problems in seconds that would take the world’s best supercomputers 10,000 years.

There are many other predictions, but these are the main ones.

What is the Metaverse?

See also previous blogs:

• Is Metaverse the Next Big Thing?
• What is Virtual/Augmented Reality?

Because of the prediction above about the widespread use of the metaverse, the remainder of this blog will focus on it. The main benefit of the metaverse is that you can travel the world, meet up with family or hold a business meeting without leaving home. Special VR (Virtual Reality) headsets are needed, although even these may be eliminated. See the Google Starline video at the bottom of this blog. You can teleport to another country, city or even the next room. The savings in time, jetlag and cost are enormous. It is ideal for and used mainly by the young for gaming but this is not of great benefit to serious users.

The metaverse could offer multi trillion dollar opportunities for businesses in the long term, with the potential to transform many aspects of daily life. As explained in this  video:

How Do VR Headsets Work?

A VR (Virtual Reality) headset includes a display screen, stereo sound, sensors and controllers. With the headset on, the wearer sees only VR 3D content projected on the display screen.

Unlike augmented reality (AR) headsets or mixed reality (MR) headsets, VR headsets do not allow users to see any element of the external physical world.

Along with the headset itself, the user will rely on a set of VR controllers to navigate the experience.

Avatars Verses Holograms

While gaming may require colourful avatars, it can’t be applied to more normal business settings.

It is unlikely that a lumbering Ork will sit next to a heavily armoured space warrior discussing the latest quarterly projections!

So for business meetings, product sales, etc., holograms will be used. Google’s Project Starline is amazing. Headsets are not needed. You must see the short video below:

Trying it Yourself

The quickest way to understand any technology is to try it yourself. I did several years ago and toured Petra in Jordan, in 3D. You will need a headset. You can buy one from Kogan for as little as $63. See this list.

To try it, see these 15 options. If unsure how to proceed, ask Google. It has improved so much, it will provide an answer to any question with the right wording. Or tour Paris here or Athens here.

Most of you won’t go this far, but your grandkids probably will. You need to know about it to ensure they don’t get hooked on gaming, which has little long term benefit.

References

• Avatars & Holograms
• Future Business Tech
• Global Trends
• Google Starline

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