At all points in time, people predict all sorts of bizarre things ranging from moon colonies to flying bicycles. A few decades ago, Artificial Intelligence robots were just science fiction, but now a reality. IBM has made some future predictions of its own for the year 2022, based on the current technological development. Some of these may still sound bizarre to some people, but if we look at the technology, they sound pretty possible.
With AI our words will become a window into our mental health
Artificial Intelligence will be intelligent enough in the next five years to be able to predict our behaviors and emotions based on our speech. Algorithms embedded in mobile devices will continuously scan users’ speech patterns to detect depression and anxiety. Further advancements will also allow early detection of diseases such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s.
“Patterns in our speech and writing analyzed by new cognitive systems will provide tell-tale signs of early-stage mental and neurological diseases that can help doctors and patients better predict, monitor, and track these diseases,” says IBM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnYUNQVcVnI
The prediction is not very outlandish considering a team from the University of Southern California has developed a program to identify signs of depression based on speech patterns.
Hyperimaging and AI will give us superhero vision
We will have the ability to see beyond the visual spectrum with the technology available throughout our daily lives. We will be able to see microwaves and infrared images. Cars could be able to see through foggy weather reducing any collisions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaOOb89ilYk
Devices like EnChroma are already available that enable colorblind people to see normally by separating light into its primary spectral components. Superhero vision might just become a thing in next few years.
Being able to ‘see’ microwaves and infrared does not sound very crazy, does it?
Macroscopes will help us understand Earth’s complexity in infinite detail
The world is infinitely connected and very complex. Systems of algorithms called macroscopes could help us gather data from millions of devices around the world and analyze it on a large scale. Collecting data from every physical object and bringing it together can help create solutions for the world’s needs for energy, food, and water.
Medical “labs on a chip” will serve as health detectives for tracing disease at the nanoscale
New techniques will be developed that can detect tiny bioparticles in body fluids. These combined with the Internet of Things data will help predict diseases before any symptoms appear.
Diagnostic devices have begun to substitute laboratory testing already. By 2022, we might be able to diagnose cancer with a simple band like Fitbit. Just imagine holding the size of your palm with the capabilities of a large laboratory.
Smart sensors will detect environmental pollution at the speed of light
Detection and diagnosis at run time are nothing new, but understanding environment and weather is complex and time-consuming. IBM predicts that within the next five years we will not require extensive tests to find out environment pollutants. New sensing technologies that utilize silicone photonics will be able to monitor our environment and its quality accurately. Sensors like these could be fitted in drones or on the ground. The sensing data combined with artificial intelligence will give profound insights that can help prevent pollution.
How realistic do you think IBM’s predictions are? Let us know in the comments below.
