Название: Future Hackers: The Indispensable Guide for Curious Minds
Автор: Matt O’Neill
Издательство: Flint
Год: 2023
Страниц: 160
Язык: английский
Формат: epub (true)
Размер: 13.9 MB

Looking towards the future can be daunting, but with Future Hackers, the sequel to The Future Is Now, you can prepare for the exciting changes that lie ahead.

From technological advancements to cultural shifts, the coming years will bring unprecedented transformations that will shape our lives in ways we can't even imagine.

This book is your essential guide to understanding these changes and adapting to them with optimism and confidence. With expert insights into the latest trends in work, leadership and technology, Future Hackers is your indispensable tool for thriving in a rapidly changing world. Whether you're a business leader, a student, or just someone who wants to stay ahead of the curve, this book will help you navigate the road to 2030 and beyond.

The future will be built upon a range of foundational technologies that will underpin every element of our existence. These technologies include, but aren’t limited to, artificial intelligence, biotech, geoengineering, virtual and augmented reality, and the metaverse. As each technology becomes increasingly sophisticated in its own right, we’ll see the rise of combinatorial technologies layering on top of it. Each of these technologies amplifies the other, creating combinations that are staggeringly powerful. In healthcare, for example, you may already have heard of the gene-editing technology, CRISPR.

Alone, gene editing is a huge scientific leap forward but in combination with artificial intelligence it becomes a transformational tool for medical treatments. For example, by combining AI with gene-editing technologies, there is ample opportunity to eliminate cancers and help people to live better quality, longer and more independent lives. However tech-averse you may be, understanding the impacts of these foundational technologies will be vital to your future-readiness.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a foundational technology because it is transforming every aspect of our lives. It enables a complete rethink of how humanity organises information, analyses data and makes decisions. If you have a ‘smart speaker’ in your home, AI is already acting for you. Ask it for a weather forecast and it provides one instantly, and in that split second, it recognises your voice, geolocates you, determines the language you require the information in and responds to your request seamlessly.

Computer scientists generally agree that there are three stages of AI development:

1. Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI)
A superficial intelligence capable of performing specific and tightly defined tasks. Apple’s Siri and Google’s Assistant are examples of voice-enabled ANIs. Examples of tasks include reading a news report or activating a music playlist. ANI is what we have right now.

2. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
An intelligent machine that can understand or perform any human-level task. Google’s Deepmind company aims to ‘solve intelligence, developing more general and capable problem-solving systems’. Early forecasts peg AGI as possible by 2030. Later forecasts suggest we’ll have to wait until 2100 or beyond.

3. Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI)
Many computer scientists believe that once machines achieve AGI, they could quickly surpass human intelligence, moving rapidly towards an IQ of multiple tens of thousands. An ASI machine will exceed human capabilities; for example, understanding complex, multi-layered problems like ‘solving climate change’.

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