Meanwhile, most of us can no longer wrap our heads around activities like renting a movie at your local store (instead of turning on Netflix) or waiting for 9 PM to call somebody because it’s cheaper that way (instead of calling them whenever we want because calls are cheap).
Bored Panda spoke about the fast pace of technological change with Ramona Pringle, Director at the Creative Innovation Studio and Associate Professor at the RTA School of Media at Ryerson University.
“Technology advances exponentially, not linearly,” Pringle said. “We tend to think of the world linearly: that what happened the year or decade before is an indication of what to expect in the next year or decade. But in fact, change happens at an ever-increasing pace because one advancement builds upon the last.”
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According to the expert, tech advances might not always be easy to see. “They’re not necessarily devices, but systems and software, and that might make it look like there isn’t as much change because there aren’t the new devices we’ve come to expect (everyone’s waiting for what comes after the smartphone)—but instead, advances in the power of what those devices can do.”
But what can we expect to change in the next decade or so? Pringle said that in her opinion VR headsets might go the way of the dodo. “Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion, but VR has had its chance, multiple times over. There are incredible experiences you can have in VR, but the barrier of entry remains too high,” she said.
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“The headsets are too clunky, and the bulk of experiences feel too isolating. Even if you can log in and play with others virtually, there’s something about physically distancing yourself from the world that I think is off-putting to too many people for it to take off more meaningfully than it already has.”
Pringle believes that the work that’s already gone into VR development will be put to good use, but most likely in a different form. “Something easier to access, more accessible, and more user friendly. But clunky headsets? I think it’s fair to assume that they will feel as dated as clunky old car phones.”
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Whether we like it or not, the world and tech are changing faster and faster around us. Entrepreneur Peter Diamandis told The Guardian that the pace of tech innovation is about to accelerate. A lot.
“I can palpably feel how fast things are changing and that the rate of change is accelerating. In the next 10 years, we’re going to reinvent every industry on this planet, but the change is one that is for the benefit of masses, whether it’s in longevity or food or banking,” Diamandis said.
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“Communication networks, sensors, robotics, augmented and virtual reality, blockchain, and AI are all exponentially improving. But they are also being interweaved and converging: for example, AI with robotics,” he explained.
The entrepreneur gave some examples of what we can expect to see in the next decade, such as car ownership being a thing of the past and AI taking care of your shopping. Meanwhile, we might even be trying on new clothes in the mall with the help of Virtual Reality! It all sounds scary and exhilarating at the same time, don’t you think?
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