IBM released their list of five predictions we can expect to see in five years for their sixth annual five-in-five announcement. (IBM)
It all sounds great, and all of these new world characteristics are being touted by IBM as the five technological developments we could see in the next five years. The predictions are part of their annual Five-in-five series, which looks at the “five innovations that will change how people work, live and play over the next five years.”
The five predictions this year are that:
The 2011 Five-in-Five predictions by IBM include mind-reading. In this photo, Kevin Brown of IBM Software Group's Emerging Technologies, wearing the EPOC from Emotive Lifesciences. The device has several sensors sitting on your head that actually read electrical brain impulses. (IBM)
2) Passwords will be eliminated and replaced with biometric scanning.
3) Your brain will be linked to your digital devices. In other words, when you think about calling someone, it happens.
4) The digital divide will be eliminated, thanks to mobile devices that will be able to power remote health care and mobile commerce.
5) Junk mail won’t exist, since analytics will allow marketers to send only the information recipients are really interested in.
This is the sixth year IBM has undertaken the Five-in-Five prediction contest. In 2008, IBM predicted that users would be able to talk to the Web and have it talk back (Hello, Siri.) In 2006, real-time speech translation was among IBM’s predictions (Apparently, there is now an app for that.). But for these two hits, IBM still has a number of predictions that have yet to be realized, including that the way we drive will be completely different (a prediction made in 2007) and that we will be able to access health care remotely.
The science fiction influences in the predictions are clear, with mind-reading being a science fiction trope familiar to fans from Star Trek to Star Wars. Meanwhile, the importance of analytics and big data are ever-present when it comes to innovation. But it will be interesting to see how long it may actually take to see these advances, and what role IBM stands to play.
View Photo Gallery: Some of the world’s greatest inventions have science fiction to thank for their easy adoption and popularity among consumers.
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