For the last 8 years, IBM has been releasing its 5 in 5 list —a litany of five innovations that will most likely change our lives over the next five years. This year the brain trust at IBM put their heads together and gleaned that new cognitive systems will create a world where “everything will learn” from our own personal information. To find out what they mean, let’s take a look at their list:
While there has been a shift away from one size fits all education, and myriad pedagogies have sprung up over the last 50 years, IBM predicts that educators will soon have the ability to tailor the learning experience for each student.
Through the analysis of a student’s test scores, personal data and attendance, cloud based systems will be able to suggest classes that can take advantage of a child’s strengths and improve areas of weakness.
2. Buying Local Will Beat Online
In the past few years, online retailers have been eating up brick and mortar shops. However, researchers predict that increased levels of personalization and engagement will be layered onto the in-person shopping experience, giving customers a reason to return to brick and mortar stores.
Through the use of augmented reality, shoppers will be guided to products they like, be able to access detailed information about a product’s manufacturer, and more. Additionally, stores will be manned by salespeople able to access endless amounts of information that can help customers choose the product that best meets their needs.
3. Doctors Will Routinely Use Your DNA to Keep You Well
Personalized medicine has been a hot topic among doctors and clinicians for years. Although giving every patient a similar prescription can treat most diseases, some things need a more custom-tailored solution. Cancer, one of the world’s leading killers, is a particular problem.
In the near future, IBM believes doctors will be able to use your DNA to create customized treatments to battle your ailments. What’s more, physicians will be able to access massive computing systems dedicated to scouring journals for the latest, most aggressive and successful cancer-fighting treatments.
4. A Digital Guardian Will Protect You Online
Cyber security is an ever-growing concern. Whether you’re an average citizen or a massive state run data operation, you’ve got to be on the lookout for potential threats. At IBM, researchers predict that our own catalogued behavioral patterns will be able to alert a personal virtual guardian who can take action to stop credit card theft, or alert you to when something fishy is going on. By moving from a password based security system to one based on actions, identity and financial theft could be curbed dramatically.
5. The City Will Help You Live In It
Let’s face it – cities are a beautiful mess. Given everything that has to go right for a city to function properly it’s a wonder how they don’t collapse upon themselves. But while city officials do their best to understand the needs of individuals, their concerns are often lost in a tangle of high-level issues. IBM thinks that through massive data collection and analysis methods city managers will be able to pick up on problematic trends and thriving new ecosystems within a city. Eventually large, fast, and intelligent computer analysis could reduce or eliminate the bureaucracy often associated with large municipalities.
Although there’s no telling how many of these predictions will come to fruition, it’s exciting to imagine a world with all of these new possibilities. I for one think it’ll be interesting to see how people accept and push back on the idea of shared/public personal data.
Images and Video Courtesy of IBM