Drawing inspiration from the periodic table, futurists at Imperial Tech Foresight (ITF) have come up with an easy-to-follow chart of the technological changes we can expect to see in the near future—from the everyday useful to the potentially catastrophic.
The chart ranks the feasibility, immediacy and world-changing potential of 100 potentially disruptive technologies, which ITF defines as “new technologies capable of significant social, economic or political upheaval.”
Taken as a whole, it illustrates gradual progression from the technologies we’re getting used to today—such as concentrated solar power and “smart diapers”—to far-flung wonders such as artificial intelligence politicians and human head transplants.
The table was created by Richard Watson and Anna Cupani at ITF, a consultancy firm that helps businesses prepare for technological change. They spoke to experts to shape the table and used Post-it Notes for each element, arranging them in a way that would make sense.
Each element is color coded. The green elements in the bottom left-hand corner are happening now, the yellow items are coming soon, the red elements are expected to take another 20 years to become reality and the gray elements are the highly speculative stuff of science fiction.
Each technology is also categorized according to one of five themes: data ecosystems, smart planet, extreme automation, human augmentation and human-machine interactions. The chart includes examples of companies that are active in these areas.
While the chart was developed as a conversation starter, businesses can still benefit from it. According to Watson, companies should be integrating and executing the green-labeled technologies right now if they are appropriate, while experimenting with and discussing the yellows and keeping an eye on developments in the reds. As for the gray technologies, “this is fringe thinking territory with some ideas bordering on complete lunacy,” said Watson in a blog post. “However, while each example is highly improbable, very few, if any, are totally impossible.”
Some of those distant technologies may be closer to reality than expected, though. For example, shape-shifting matter finds itself in the gray section—yet researchers at Harvard have created a material that can change shape and alter its stickiness on command. And while vacuum tube transport is categorized as a red technology that we won’t see for another 20 years, Virgin Hyperloop One expects it to be operational in the mid-2020s.
The table of disruptive technologies is sure to have its intended effect as a conversation starter—and may be a useful tool for individuals and companies to prepare for the next great technological transformation.
Read more about how disruptive technologies are changing the world at It Takes an Evolution to Drive a Revolution.