
IN SPOTLIGHT
The future of global security hinges on societal resilience
Defence debates tend to focus on firepower. But the most destabilising risks may come from something far harder to quantify: the fraying of social trust, the manipulation of truth, and the erosion of the middle class.
BLOG BY FUTURES PLATFORM
Fake News
Fake News appears as a red stamp on a Russian state website suggesting that many Western news items are `fake´. President Donald Trump claims that several news printed, aired or released online by well-established American news media are fake. The label `fake´ is used by those in power to undermine news media that do not support their political agenda or may have critical views.
Urban Mobility Redefined
Owning an autonomous vehicle makes little or no sense in the future unless you run a taxi or delivery service. Self-driving cars will be constantly available all around our cities. They run without cease and only stop for recharging or servicing. People may own vehicles for some off-purposes, but the roles of owned vehicles will be much alike those of horses today.
4D Printing
4D printing adds a new dimension to 3D printing: time. An object changes its shape or quality as it encounters some external stimuli, such as temperature shifts or contact with water. Currently, research in several laboratories, 4D printing may add programmability to materials and objects.
Source of Great Wisdom?
UNU is a platform utilising a combination of AI algorithms and collective human intelligence. So far, it’s been able to do surprisingly accurate forecasts all the way from Oscar winners to presidential elections. Will an efficient combination of algorithms and human swarms be the solution to finding answers to our tricky future problems?
Co-Living Matches Made in Heaven?
Finding new friends and partners online is already very common, but have you considered searching for a roommate for co-living? Co-living match does not need to be made in heaven; when instead, an algorithm will sort it out while you share enough of your personal details on a co-living service, the number of which is growing.
To Work or Not to Work?
The Finnish basic income experiment sparked a lot of international interest before and after its launch in January Kela, The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, has received inquiries from all over Europe and other continents, including countries like Canada, US, Korea, Mexico, Australia and Japan.
Road Hackers in 2030?
When there will be cars without drivers, it is inevitable that all vehicles on the road will be monitored, and if necessary, taken over by software that runs the entire road traffic system. Where there is software, there will be hackers, who can hack the cars, and what the car AI thinks are roads.
Mid-Sized Cities Prosper
The social and economic power of millennials will increase remarkably during the coming years. Currently, it seems that major cities in the U.S. might be at risk of losing the competition over millennials to their mid-sized counterparts, and big cities all over the world are expected to face the same challenge in the future.
Living Afloat
Seasteading Institute claims to build floating ”sea top communities” by 2020. French Polynesia’s Council of Ministers has passed a memorandum of understanding to allow Seasteders to build in a littoral zone in exchange for financial benefits the new floating city would bring forward.
AI That Writes Itself
Microsoft and the University of Cambridge have published an Artificial Intelligence software called Deep Coder that writes code by copying existing segments that it can find. Deep Coder is a radical innovation, a software robot that makes software.
Out of Batteries?
Demand for electricity off the grid and during peak hours is going up. Without a massive growth of energy storage, a new energy crisis is possible.
Software in Driver's Seat
The difference in evaluation suggests that analysts consider car and traffic software to be a much more viable industry in the future than the sheer manufacturing of cars. This said, Opel and Vauxhall were producing a steady deficit.