Predictions for the Future

I predict that in the future:

Soon, within decades likely, a huge industry will boom which is this: factories mainly ran by AI and robotic extension will give app to consumers for their own AI, or the platform’s, to design, build, and ship their household possessions. It would look like this: someone talks with their AI to find, for example, their optimal chair or table, based on aesthetic of matching room and personal wishes. Once a 3D render suites taste, it will be sent to the factory which will have its AI and robotic assembly construct the item from scratch, and will then be delivered to the person.

A side industry will also boom, which is consumer’s prefabbed designs, essentially how it is today: a company designs some furniture, or light fixture, or some object for the home (or lawn, workshop, etc) and then lists them for sale, then someone buys that. In a similar vein, blueprints of other’s designs will be on the market for an inexpensive price, and people may browse that catalogue for designs if they so desire, buying them, and having a factory ‘print’ them (else they may make their own design as aforesaid). I am unsure if the person’s AI would be allowed free inspiration from the catalogued items, or if a small commision would need be paid to the company/person’s catalogue design to fork from, or if a monthly fee would need be in place to use the catalogue, etc.

There will be a device, which I will tentatively call a Fabricator, which will rearrange matter into any other form, such as turning a pile of rocks and trash into a leather chair (much the same as the Replicator from Star Trek. This will undoubtedly offer a huge boon to the aforementioned industry, allowing for an even more rapid and cheap way to build and ship goods to consumers.

With both of these in place, crimes of theft would surely diminish significantly, since all once has to do to have that which they desire is press a button on a wall and say what they want, and within hours or days the product will be shipped to them, or else printed there in their very home. Why spend the effort and risk to steal when you can simply walk into your living room and get anything you want? The Fabricator, along with what comes next, would surely greatly diminish crimes of theft.

Upon a time in the future, perhaps centuries, when the aforementioned two predictions are well in place, this current time of history (2026AD at the time of writing, i.e. the early 21st century) will not be thought outside of the time of the serfs, peasants — for, while the common man today has far more luxury than the serfs of the Medieval Period, even more spices than the kings, nevertheless the largest part of the population is forced to work other’s lands (i.e., market share, companies, as well as business in general) in order to survive — scarcely offering true time and opportunity to fully explore with ease of resource and relaxation that which they hold dear. In other words, this period of history having the requirement for the largest part of the population to “work for a living” will be thought of as a thing of the past, for with the devices to let anyone print any object they wish, out of trash and rubbish, or perhaps even to materialize from deeper aspects of physics (as is occasionally but rarely mentioned in the UFO space (if we assume the technology exists and can be developed)), then no one would need to work a place they do not truly love simply in order to survive — but instead, could spend their time more freely. Therefore, while historians would acknowledge all the differences of, say, the 14th century and the 21st century, they would perhaps feel this 21st century to be closer to that Medieval period, than they would their own (be it the 25th century, or whatever date it may be).

Filling the place of a 9 to 5, I suspect pioneering to become once again a large pastime — the pioneering of other planets.

In the past, the game was always land — building castles and raising farms to support soldiers to conquer more land to again repeat that, as well as overall to gain profit and renown through increased domain. Land and name were the game men of power and position played. Then, the land turned into market share, which is the current game played by many with ambition for such. Once matter printing becomes the norm, commerce will by necessity look quite different — and with a growing population and a new Romantic Period — people will look to other planets to colonize and stretch their legs. Entire multi-solar-system industries will likely arise for mining and pioneering and travel.

There will likely still be some form of trade or commerce. Perhaps instead of today’s method of trading cash and digital money for physical goods, labour and effort (as the same as is done today) will be traded for a substance most found to be of highest efficacy for the Fabricator. In other words, some element or substance may have the highest ability to transform matter to any shape; viz., suppose 1 pound of oak wood can turn into .99 pounds of leather with the fabricator, then suppose there is a new material which can transform itself of 1 pound into .9999 pounds of leather — that substance may become the new dollar.

I said the new Romantic Period because with work no longer needed and advanced AI to solve nearly any problem, and of course having any possession you desire with utmost ease — people will want something to do. Some will turn to mystic paths, others to pioneering, others to the scientific exploration of what is pioneered, others yet still of direction and governance, but for many: yearning for a simple rustic life of sorts, and for importance of personal growth — for, while being confronted with your thoughts and self daily absent distraction, internal reflection and desire for growth, expansion, and harmony is a natural flowering. To find a quiet homestead of a fine planet and work the land, sure with ease of new technology, but with the freshest of air and environment, and to spend time pondering life, enjoying it, and growing, absent many the burdens faced in today’s own time, I think it natural for a Romantic Period of sorts to find home in many in the future to come.

One more thing: things like image and and video generation with AI will be as common place and local to hardware as are calculator apps today — viz., so commonplace and abundant that no thought would be given to it.

I’ll likely make more of these kinds of predictions in future posts.