Trends Identified
Autonomous vehicles
Autonomous driving is another area of significant disruption. Autonomous vehicles are already tested on the road, with a significant degree of automation built into the Tesla software. Autonomous driving could thus be associated with limited lock-in effect as vehicles simply receive ‘softwareupdates’ as the technology matures. The range of estimates on the impact of autonomous vehicles is wide, from rebound effects actually increasing oil demand to positive estimates suggesting up to a 40% efficiency gain across all road transport.
2018
The bigger picture- The impact of automation, AI, shared economy on oil demand
The 2° Investing Initiative
Technological breakthroughs
Automation, robotics and AI are advancing quickly, dramatically changing the nature and number of jobs available. Technology has the power to improve our lives, raising productivity, living standards and average life span, and free people to focus on personal fulfilment. But it also brings the threat of social unrest and political upheaval if economic advantages are not shared equitably.
2017
Workforce of the future The competing forces shaping 2030
PWC
Automation
Automation may solve one problem by increasing productivity and powering growth but creates another by potentially eliminating millions of jobs and suppressing wages for many workers.
2018
Labor 2030: The Collision of Demographics, Automation and Inequality
Bain and Company
Automation, employment and productivity
Automation is an idea that has inspired science fiction writers and futurologists for more than a century. Today it is no longer fiction, as companies increasingly use robots on production lines or algorithms to optimize their logistics, manage inventory, and carry out other core business functions. Technological advances are creating a new automation age in which ever-smarter and more flexible machines will be deployed on an ever-larger scale in the workplace. In reality, the process of automating tasks done by humans has been under way for centuries. What has perhaps changed is the pace and scope of what can be automated. It is a prospect that raises more questions than it answers. How will automation transform the workplace? What will be the implications for employment? And what is likely to be its impact both on productivity in the global economy and on employment?
2017
A future that works
McKinsey
Driverless cars
Automation has the potential to reshape many facets of American life, including how people travel from one place to another. A survey conducted in May found that a majority of Americans – 56% – were more likely to say they would not want to ride in a driverless vehicle. When asked why, the most commonly cited major reasons were a general lack of trust and safety concerns.
2017
Key trends shaping technology in 2017
Pew Research Center
Demand for higher education is growing, along with the costs
Australia’s highly educated workforce used to be an area of relative strength. However, it is now competing with the rapid rise in global education and computer adoption. The number of students enrolled in higher education in Australia is growing: from more than 984 000 students in 2006 to almost 1 410 000 in 2015.
2017
Surfing the digital tsunami
Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Augmented reality
Augmented-reality-based systems support a variety of services, such as selecting parts in a warehouse and sending repair instructions over mobile devices. These systems are currently in their infancy, but in the future, companies will make much broader use of augmented reality to provide workers with real-time information to improve decision making and work procedures.
2015
Nine Technologies Transforming Industrial Production
Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Augmented reality technologies
Augmented reality technologies will be used as a basis for the creation of devices, which allow people to adapt the ways in which they interact with their environment through entirely new interfaces. A classic example of this concept is Google Goggles, which allows users to download information from the Internet on objects in their environment in real time. The most likely next step in the development of these technologies will be the appearance of special contact lenses imperceptible to others and able to transmit any information required from a variety of sources (including the Internet) to the user directly onto the retina of the eye. Thus, in terms of augmented reality the ways in which people socialise and perceive their surrounding environment could radically change, which in turn will bring about significant socio-economic effects.
2016
Russia 2030: science and technology foresight
Russia, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) is a visual or audio “overlay” on the physical world that uses contextualized digital information to augment the user’s real-world view. AR-enabled smart glasses help warehouse workers fulfill orders with precision, airline manufacturers assemble planes, and electrical workers make repairs. We’re currently seeing mainstream gaming examples of AR that span age demographics. The power of bringing information to the point of action in a seamless, unobtrusive manner is undeniable. This blending of the physical and virtual worlds is cracking open a new realm for businesses across the board to explore.
2017
The Essential Eight - Your guide to the emerging technologies revolutionizing business now
PWC
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) is a form of technology used to provide a digitally enhanced view of the real world. This technology layers digital information (e.g., graphics, sound, or feedback) on top of the physical environment for the user to manipulate.
2017
Beyond the Noise- The Megatrends of Tomorrow’s World
Deloitte