- Over the next five years, we're likely to see significant changes in fields such as artificial intelligence, space exploration, combinations of augmented and mixed reality, and quantum computing, says futurist James Canton.
- Advancements in artificial intelligence can be particularly impactful when it comes to healthcare.
- Many large tech companies like Google and Facebook, among others, have been establishing strong presences in these fields, although Canton believes we'll see promising newcomers that can challenge these incumbents.
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In the not too distant future, your next checkup could be conducted by a virtual doctor. And your smartphone will not only have access to digital assistants like Alexa and Siri, but also vastly intelligent artificial intelligence systems that are capable of doing much more than reciting the weather or fetching answers to questions.
That's according to Dr. James Canton, CEO and chairman of the Institute for Global Futures, a San Francisco-based think tank that advises clients on upcoming business and technology trends.
For years, large tech firms like Facebook and Google have been emphasizing the impact that emerging fields like AI and augmented reality could have on our everyday lives. But because these technologies are still in their early stages, it can be difficult to appreciate how significant they will really be.
That's where Canton comes in.
In an interview with Business Insider, he described how our lives will change over the next five years as a result of advances in several important technologies.
"There's so much more