WHAT TECHNOLOGY WILL BE LIKE IN THE NEXT DECADE

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From the Boomers generation to the present generation called GenZ, there have been many technological advancements that spanned from how we work, learn, communicate, conduct business, even to the ways we live our lives daily. As a GenZ in Nigeria, I lived through the times when cassettes were in vogue, to when discs replaced them, to the invention of DSTV, GOTV, and the likes; then to online movie streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime TV and so on. I lived through the use of typewriters to Computers, then Laptops and iPads. I clearly remember when Samsung phones started being in use in the country, my mum got one first in the house and I remember how awed we were at such an invention. If you didn’t use ‘open and close’ phones then, you were simply not following the trend. Is it the way photography has gone beyond what we grew to know? Or to the internet that went from running very low network efficiency to very fast one? It literally evolved from 1G to 5G, transforming mobile communication from basic voice calls to a powerful ecosystem of connectivity and innovation.

Every generation that has ever lived has gone through one technological change or the other, it follows that many more technological revolutions will happen. Do you wonder what turns technology will take in the next decade? With the way technology has grown over the years, it would not be hard to predict the future face of technology

Here are five predictions of what technology will be like in the next decade:

1. Blockchain Invasion

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Blockchain, although invented by Stuart Haber and Scott Stornetta in 1991, came into light with the introduction of Bitcoin in 2008. It has since become a prominent application in various industries. The next decade would experience a deeper exploration of blockchain, in other words, the blockchain would have completely replaced all traditional banking systems . You would agree with me that blockchain is on that path already as it is now adopted by many people since it provides more security and transparency with activities involving transactions. Due to its transparent nature, it would be used in voting systems. In other words, in a country like Nigeria, we stand a chance to have free and fair elections, with no inadequacies in the voting systems; through the blockchain.

2. AI Proliferation

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Artificial Intelligence -AI, is the development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. The rate at which AI has improved is so tremendous, it is capable of reasoning, learning, solving problems and even understanding various languages; I  mean, AI understands Pidgin!!!!!???? how?? It is just one of the wonders of technology I guess. AI keeps penetrating various domains of human intelligence but one of it's barriers is that compared to how humans put ethical considerations into things they do, AI is configured to be without emotions and would always be behind authentic human intelligence, but at this rate, it is not wrong to predict that in the next decade, AI would break all barriers, that is, it's evolution would likely include ethical considerations, regulations and responsible practices. Its application would expand across many more industries like Healthcare, Finance, Transportation, Manufacturing, Education, Retail and Telecommunications.

3. Robotics

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We cannot but agree to the fact that robotics is advancing rapidly across various domains in the current landscape. Whether we like to admit it or not, robots would likely take over all industries in the decade to come, for example, in health care, they would be used for surgeries, rehabilitations, patient care or medication delivery. The world may fear that robots would take over even jobs like Cleaning, Catering, Tutoring, Driving and others????  but I also think that whatever technological advancement that comes in the next decade, humans would not be left useless and without values, they would also evolve.  

4. 6G in view

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Technology has evolved from first-generation (1G) to the most recent fifth-generation (5G)technology standard for Cellular networks. There is the likelihood that the  Sixth-generation would be developed in the next decade. It would however not replace existing networks, but it would be an upgrade of these networks. The upgrade would include faster Internet speeds, a nearly cognitive network that could sense and gather information rapidly from people and devices, innovative new devices and applications  and many more.

5. Genomics

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Genomics is the study of the complete genetic information, either DNA or RNA;  of an organism. Genomics plays a central role in biotechnology and genetic engineering which is the manipulation of genes for different purposes such as creating genetically modified organisms and producing therapeutic proteins. As stated above, one of the barriers that technology may still be encountering is the issue of the ethical breaches that these technological activities bring. The next decade would have a more improved technology that could manage to break these barriers, making gene modification widely and rapidly in practice.

CONCLUSION

From blockchain invasion that could revolutionize the traditional banking systems, to the proliferation of artificial intelligence across various industries, the next generation is poised for remarkable technological transformations. Whether or not these technologies would break certain ethical consideration barriers, it should  be ensured that the benefits of these technological advancements are realized without compromising human values and societal well-being.