(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] From AI to robotics,
technological innovations are coming thick and fast.
It seems faster than ever.
Like the industrial revolution before it,
these emerging technologies have the power
to shape the world.
For centuries, people were limited
by the strength of their ox and the sweat of their brow.
But in two hundred years,
we mastered electricity and mapped out the globe.
Now, the latest technologies
are tapping the secrets of the universe itself.
As computing and engineering advance
to unprecedented heights,
our world may never be the same again.
The future is almost here.
In this video, I'm diving into the jaw-dropping world
of emerging technologies,
breaking down seven game-changing innovations
set to change our world.
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Number seven: Artificial intelligence.
Are we alone in the universe?
Soon the answer might be a resounding no.
But this alien mind won't descend from a mothership.
It'll be born of a motherboard.
Artificial intelligence, it's the holy grail of computing;
a learning machine that is self-aware and intelligent.
That's a general AI.
Currently, all researchers have mastered is narrow AI.
These programs perform specific tasks,
running systems like Google Maps or Siri.
But even with a smaller scope,
narrow AI will power self-driving cars,
virtual nursing assistants, even personalized tutors.
The sheer breadth of possible applications is revolutionary.
However, the dream of remaking man in his own image
still remains a way off.
Yet, as ever more computing power becomes available,
it may not be too long
before we struggle to tell the difference
between man and machine.
Number six: Blockchain.
Bitcoin has been heralded as the next big thing
for over a decade.
Yet, it's the underlying blockchain technology
that's been the breakout star.
Unlike traditional financial systems,
the blockchain is not centralized.
Rather, all records exist on nodes
dispersed throughout a system.
The records contain all financial transactions conducted.
But they can also store other information too.
The blockchain can track orders, payments, accounts,
production, and much more.
Nobody can tamper with the records.
Nor can they ever be lost.
That makes the technology censorship-proof
and seizure-resistant.
In the face of a cashless society,
governments cannot steal your assets.
It also protects smart contracts,
where terms and conditions can be written directly
into an agreement.
Now, innovators are adapting the decentralized system
to store health records.
From secure online voting to cybersecurity,
the potential of the blockchain is seemingly limitless.
With greater security, greater trust,
and speedier transactions,
the blockchain could herald
an entirely new financial system:
one that's corruption-proof.
Number five: Virtual reality.
Why visit other worlds when we can make other worlds?
That's the promise of virtual reality or VR.
Developed by big hitters like Google and Facebook,
VR is already a reality.
Using head-mounted displays,
users can navigate artificial worlds.
But this is only the beginning.
To create a truly immersive experience,
future advances will integrate environmental sounds
and spatial characteristics.
Gaming companies like Oculus have developed headsets
testing the current limits of the technology.
But with working from home now part of the new normal,
VR might hold the key to a virtual office experience.
Facebook recently changed their name to Meta,
focusing on adopting this technology for social media.
Meanwhile, in retail, customers could try clothes on
using a virtual avatar.
It's simply a matter of time.
Number four: Quantum computing.
Computers are beginning to hit the limits of physics.
After doubling computer power every few years,
we're approaching the boundaries of what we can fit
on a microchip.
Computing power currently relies on bits
to store information, which are either a one or a zero.
But quantum computers are a Pandora's box
of unrivaled calculating power.
Qubits, the raw bones of a quantum computer,
can be both one and zero simultaneously.
This allows for exponentially faster calculations.
But before now, qubits were renowned for their fickleness,
lasting only seconds at a time.
IBM announced plans to build a 1,000-qubit by 2023.
If achieved, it would be an inflexion point
for this fledgling technology.
Big data, for example, could be analyzed rapidly,
allowing us to ask questions it would have taken too long
to calculate before.
For instance, processing of natural language
could lead to real-time translation.
Thanks to its one-zero properties,
solving these complex problems is the specialty
of quantum computing.
With a quantum computer, we could model the behavior
of individual atoms
or optimize the world's global shipping network.
They'll make today's supercomputers
look like children in comparison.
Number three: Robotics.
Science fiction has long promised robots
since its earliest days.
From "I, Robot" to Arnold's unstoppable "Terminator,"
robots excite and terrify us.
Now they might lurk just around the corner.
Boston Dynamics routinely goes viral
with their troop of dancing automatons.
But robots are more than just a novelty.
Picture a self-driving car
where a robot delivers a package to your door.
Or a warehouse where the robots handle everything
from ordering to packaging.
That last one is already a reality.
Controlled by the latest learning algorithms,
robots could be protecting communities,
helping disaster relief,
or even fighting on the frontlines sooner than you think.
Number two: The internet of things.
1G, 2G, 3G, we've all noticed the gradual increase
in mobile data.
But unlike 4G, 5G won't just be a little faster;
It'll be over 100 times faster.
With reduced latency and more reliable signals,
5G will become the backbone
of the emerging internet of things.
Currently, only our phones, computers, and the odd watch
are connected to the internet.
But what if everything was?
From your washing machine to your car,
the internet of things will connect our world together.
Self-driving highway systems, wearable fitness devices,
even footballs can hook up to the internet.
So, you'll know how far and fast you throw
or how many steps you've taken.
The secret is data.
By connecting all devices using built-in sensors,
analytics can optimize systems, saving time and money.
Number one: Nuclear fusion.
Nuclear fusion is always twenty years away.
Ever since the 1960s, we've been splitting atoms apart.
But fusing them together
has always proven a trickier challenge.
Harnessing the sun's power,
nuclear fusion presents the possibility of cheap,
nigh-on limitless energy.
There's just one problem:
We've never gotten it to work.
Temperatures around 100 million degrees
are needed to start the reaction,
creating plasma.
Plasma is notoriously unstable.
However, controlling this unpredictable molten material
has proven challenging.
To make the process self-sustaining
requires vast computing power to model the physics.
Newer supercomputers are starting
to make important breakthroughs.
As the latest fusion sites come online,
the energy source of the future
might finally be within reach.
But what do you think?
Which emerging technology is set to change our world?
Or is there a technology we missed out on?
Let us know in the comments below.
If you enjoyed this video,
make sure to check out our other videos.
Thanks for watching.
We'll see you next time.