IBM Research releases the “5 in 5” list every year with five technologies that will be reshaping society in the next five years. This time the list is focused on security and AI. We will take a look at all the complete future-tech list below.
No More Counterfeiting:
With the Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on the rise, the blockchain technology has been widely developed. This technology could have far-reaching applications. It is basically a distributed ledger that creates a secure database that shows the entire history of all information entered. The technology can be applied to anything that needs security.
The technology can be used to fight counterfeiting. IBM calls tiny tamper-proof digital fingerprints as crypto-anchors and they would be embedded into products or packaging recording the entire journey from manufacturing to the user. Users can see the history by simply scanning the tags.
Quantum Computers:
Quantum computers are still restricted to labs despite the advancements. Quantum computers can conduct massive amounts of simultaneous calculations as compared to traditional computers and this opens up the possibility of solving currently unsolvable problems.
IBM believes that five years is enough time for these computers to transition from the labs to the public.
Lattice Cryptography:
Quantum computers in the hands of the public can also mean they can hack through the best encryptions. That is why they are building and an unhackable lattice cryptography. which hides sensitive data inside elaborate, multi-dimensional lattices. These structures are so dense and complex that the researchers believe no algorithm will ever be able to crack them, allowing traditional computers to stand up to quantum cyberattacks.
AI Will Transcend Human Bias:
Being humans, we consciously or unconsciously favour one group of people over another. These can sometimes be reflected in the AI. IBM believes and is working on the similar project that lets AI spot out inconsistencies and will allow the AI to transcend this biases and will be able to make decisions without any influence.
Plankton Sensors:
There is nothing more important than water. It is something all of humanity depends on. But, we can not track water supplies in real time. Sensors only look for specific markers and ignore other things entering the water. Plankton, microorganisms found in bodies of water can act as natural sensors.
IBM is currently working on small, autonomous microscopes that could analyze and track plankton in the wild. These organisms could be fitter with AI systems which will immediately alert us whenever there is a contamination. This will be able to provide early warnings in cases of oil spills and algae bloom.
The future-tech list does sound reasonable when we look at the technology of today but we will have to wait til 2023 to find out how much of this actually does happen.