The Great Ongoing Technological Developments The Future and The Challenges We Face

1. The Great Ongoing Technological DevelopmentsThe Future and The Challenges We Face Dr Abdul azim Akbar Jan 2017 Karachi Pakistan

2. The Industrial Revolution • Technology has always been at the forefront of the relentless march of humanity towards a better tomorrow. • The first industrial revolution began with the invention and utilization of water and steam power for mass production • The second industrial revolution basically started with the utilization of electric power • The third industrial revolution was triggered by electronics and information technology development

3. The Fourth Industrial Revolution • Now a fourth industrial revolution is developing which covers all aspects of human life • The speed of the fourth industrial revolution is breathtaking • It is ferociously transforming our life and impacting whole system including humanity, society, business, economics and warfare • In a few years from now we will be living in a different world and the nations which do not participate in these ferocious technological developments will be left behind and doomed

4. The Gamechanging Technological Developments • The ongoing game changing technological developments cover all aspects of our lives and include: • Medical Sciences • Materials • Mind Control • Weather Control • Energy • Advanced Robotics • Agriculture • Digital Technology

5. Medical Science – Personalized Medicine • Personalized Medicine basically provides precisely prepared medicine based on unique genetics • Individual specific genetic profile is developed and personalized medicine is produced and decision are made which will enable to better diagnose, prevent and treat the disease, on an individual basis

6. Medical Science –Genome Engineering / CRISPR • Genetic engineering is basically the science of making changes in DNA in a genome of an organism to modify its characteristics. • It can be used for example to enhance the nutritional value, resistance to plant disease, growth rates of crops • Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology can alter DNA with precision and can be used to remove elements which cause various human diseases, which are presently incurable to a large extent.

7. Medical Science –Age Reversal Technology • Scientists are working on technology which can control aging. • They have discovered the genes that control aging • It has been applied on mice and is undergoing human trials

8. Material - Graphene • Graphene is the first 2D material • It is just one atom thick • Graphene membranes can revolutionize water purification, energy storage, wearable technology, communicable clothing, light weight equipment. • It is ultra light, superb conductor. • It is 200 time stronger than steel. • Extraction from graphite has recently been figured out.

10. Material - Nanotechnology • Nanotechnology develops nanomaterial which are used to produce nanoscale particles, tubes, rods, fibers etc. smaller than 100 nanometers (100 millionth of a millimeter) • Nanomaterial have potential to be used in healthcare, information technology, electronics etc. • Their interaction with living organism molecules can affect the immune system, penetrate tissues, clumping of molecules

11. Mind Control Technology • The technology being developed for studying the human brain is called Remote Neural Monitoring (RNM) • RNM works remotely to control the brain in order to read thoughts taking place inside the mind • Scientists are working to build a synthetic brain which would provide us with knowledge of how our perceptions are interpreted and stored and how our consciousness is developed • Diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's etc can be studied using the synthetic brain • IBM have predicted that within five years we will be able to read each other’s minds.

12. Weather Control Technology • There is a lot of research work being done to develop technology to enable us to control and modify weather • Weather control technology can be used to increase crop yield, induce rain (cloud seeding), decrease the severity and prevention of storms/hurricanes and change its direction.

13. Energy Technology – Nuclear Fusion • Currently nuclear reactors utilize nuclear fission by splitting an atom creating large amount of energy but also release large amount of radiation and radioactive waste which lasts for a very long time • In Nuclear Fusion, energy is created by forming one atom from two atoms. The energy thus created is cleaner and safer • Fusion reactors are still in an experimental stage. Fusion requires very special conditions to take place. It requires very high temperatures (~100 Million K) and high pressure. • World countries are now investing billions of dollars in ITER (The Way in Latin) project to deliver safe, abundant and clean energy from nuclear fusion

14. Energy – Smart Grid • A smart grid is an electric grid which includes a variety of operational and energy measures including smart meters, smart appliances, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency using computer based remote control and automation • The grid includes wires, substations, transformers, switches etc. • It includes adding two way digital communication technology to devices associated with the grid • Sensors gather data and utilities can automatically control each device from a central location

15. Advanced Robotics • Advanced robotics is the technology associated with the development of robots with higher capabilities than just automated machines. • These capabilities include intelligence, ability to learn, communicate and understand emotions. • Cybernetics is the basis of robotics which is manipulation of a system with technology

16. Digital Technology - Internet of Things • Devices are connected over the internet and the connected devices can talk to each other, us and the applications • Internet of Things is utilized to create smart homes and smart cities

17. Digital Technology – Virtual Reality • Virtual reality creates an artificial world replacing the real world • The artificial world is created by the system and the artificial world could be in a room through a head set and the user feels as if he is in the artificial world • Cut off from the real world, virtual reality can be used for video games, social networking , educational purposes etc

18. Digital Technology – Augmented Reality • Augmented reality adds images, graphics, sounds, smells etc to the real world • Smart phones, wearable devices etc are loaded with the necessary software, sensors, digital projectors to impose the images in the real world. • GPRS can be used to load the relevant useful information of the location

19. Digital Technology - Smart City • Integrated utilization of Technology to manage a city • ICT and IoT etc are utilized to manage the city elements including local departments, schools, transportation system, hospitals, power plants, water supply, waste management and other services • It results in better quality of life for its communities, enhancing city services, interaction between government various services and community

20. Digital Technology – Artificial Intelligence • Artificial intelligence basically is a digital technology which creates machines who act like human beings and perform tasks requiring intelligence, reasoning, analyzing, making decisions, learning, problem solving • In the final analysis we may have advanced machine or robots, who have human intelligence and emotions, can withstand harder physical challenges and can be much faster.

21. Digital Technology – 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing • A 3D computer model is first created with CAD or photography software • The computer model is then converted into a series of thin layers and a file is generated which contains instructions for the 3D printer • Additive manufacturing can be faster, more flexible and less expensive

22. Agriculture Technologies – Precision Agriculture • Precision agriculture consists of automatic data collection (variable soil and crop parameters, local weather conditions, mapping), analysis and interpretation of the collected data and necessary action in terms of crop input required thereby optimizing crop inputs and reducing environmental impact.

23. Agriculture Technologies – Vertical Farming • By the year 2050 about 80% of the world population would be urban. • The human population will increase by 3 billion people • 109 hectares of new and will be needed to grow enough food which is not available • Vertical farming is a potential solution which utilizes controlled environment and indoor farming techniques resulting in increased crop production, protection from inclement weather, efficient use of resources, taking care of urban growth etc.

24. Agriculture Technologies – Closed Ecological System • Ecological agriculture basically builds a agro ecosystem to develop efficient, optimum and sustainable agriculture • It aims for healthy plants with good defence capabilities, stressing the pests and enhancing the beneficial organism. • It requires practices such as selection of crops that have resistance to local pests and planting crops in perimeter that are more attractive to pests etc.

25. The Challenges • Thus we can see that new technologies are being developed and impacting our lives in many different fronts • The rate of change which is happening in our lives will increase exponentially and in some cases will be beyond our imagination • Future is being reinvented and disruptions are everywhere • The benefits of these technological developments are enormous

26. The Challenges • The great challenge is to have proper participation in the development of these game changing technologies. • If we do not comprehend the nature, scale and impact of this phenomenal technological revolution it will be too late to enjoy the benefits and avoid being condemned to perpetual technological, economical and political poverty.

27. The Challenges • We need to assess the scope and frontier of this technology revolution and transformation and have a clear picture of the future world which in some cases may exceed what we see in science fiction. • We need to prepare for future and policy makers bear a big responsibility in this regard • Policy makers needs to have a clear understanding and vision regarding governance of a technological disruptive world and adjustment to new realities

28. The Challenges • “The challenge for governments, business and society is to find new ways of thinking and acting as our world is disrupted by technology and innovation” – Uschi Schrieber EY

29. The Challenges • Whereas the benefits of technological transformation are tremendous in terms of strides that mankind is making and will make in agriculture, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, automation etc, there are a number of social, ethical and security issues we will have to confront: • Employment / Jobs, Manpower development • Inequality • Security / Privacy • Relationships with machines • Ethical Issues • Warfare

30. Employment/ Jobs • The emerging technologies are bringing a step change in manpower requirements. Much of the work done presently by human beings will be carried out by robots or machines. • Human beings will be confined to very few jobs, although some new type of work will emerge. The whole new strategy for Human Resource development will need to be developed.

31. Inequality • Technological transformation will give rise to technology haves and have-nots, unless it is ensured that benefits of technology are enjoyed by all. No human or nation should suffer from technology poverty

32. Security/ Privacy • Cyber security is a big challenge. It is a matter of great concern when a highly developed online network with artificial intelligence may malfunction either due to fault in the system or due to hackers. • Encroachment in privacy due to free and excessive flow of data is another big concern

33. Relationships with Machines • Emergence of Artificial Intelligence raises concerns about validity and ethics of automatic decision without human intervention taken by machines

34. Ethical Issues • Technology development gives rise to many ethical issues such as alteration in genes, production of designer babies, ability to control minds etc.

35. Warfare • The nature and the way wars are fought could change drastically. Weather inducements, cyber security, advanced robots are issues which are drawing international attention.

36. Thank You!