The year is 2021 and the human personal developments that have been discussed throughout the year are now set to play out in a spectacular fashion. What does this mean for those of us who have been studying technology and its impact on our future? Well, it means that one of the largest annual events of the year, the International Productivity Commission (IPC), has just taken place in Washington D.C. at the headquarters of the White House. Thousands upon thousands of business people and researchers gather to discuss the best way to get the job done in a world where we have artificial intelligence, autonomous cars, androids with personalities, and data mining to power decision making in the consumer’s favor.
While no one quite knows what the outcome will be, one thing is clear; the personal tech industry is going to continue its relentless growth spurt. This growth will impact everything from self-driving cars to wearable tech. However, perhaps the most profound effect will come from personal technologies that enable greater connectivity and efficiency at the speed of thought. We already know that artificial intelligence and computer science will drive this expansion, but what is the most significant product of this decade? The answer may surprise you.
It is called the Internet. And, while everyone is sure the term refers to the Web, the more thoughtful among us realize that the term actually refers to something more fundamental than the virtual messengers of today. Today’s personal tech industry understands that to connect and empower human interaction requires something beyond networked data, text messaging, and email. It requires something more tangible like real-world prototypes, user reviews, and live person-to-user interaction. This is the heart and soul of the personal tech industry, and it’s also the driving force behind one of the most exciting and far reaching trends in the personal tech industry; the open source community. Visit generator human design to understand what chances you have.
What does open source mean, and why is it so important? Well, consider this: millions of dollars are invested every year in the research and development of new technologies, but those resources never find their way into the hands of the average person. Why? Because developers and designers have to go through a lot of costly upfront expenses before they can start selling a product to the general public.
This is why the open source movement has become such a success. Because it allows these innovators and developers to invest their time and money into innovations that create real value to people instead of being limited to the trickle down effect of commercialization. Open source software has allowed for the development of many apps that are directly related to personal tech, including: remotely hosted apps, document sharing and editing apps, online collaboration and social media apps. But there’s a lot more to this trend than meets the eye. Developers and innovators are starting to see the value of putting their ideas into the hands of the public before spending years developing them for a corporation. This is one of the biggest advantages of open source: it broadens the horizons of human possibility.
The next few years will be quite interesting, as human technology takes a giant leap forward. We’re already seeing this with things like driverless cars and planes, but in the future we may see full-scale robots taking over many of our mundane human chores, freeing up our time to pursue more important goals like curing cancer or creating the perfect human society. But for now, let’s just enjoy the ride as human personal tech matures. After all, it’s been an interesting few years.