If you look back to the 80’s and 90’s, people thought that by now we would be zooming around in flying cars and robots would be taking over our everyday chores. While some predictions became true, like being able to video call, many of them didn’t.
However, it is fun to think about what the future will look like, what will change and what will stay the same. Well researchers at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) have asked 2,000 Brits to do just that and predict what the world will be like in 2045.
A staggering 61 percent of people believe that life will be unrecognisable from the way we live today, with nearly half (49 percent) thinking that social media will be banned for under 16s. Another prediction is that streaming services will bring the complete end to terrestrial TV (37 percent).
In the education sector, 42 percent of people surveyed believe that teachers will be using AI to create learning plans for individual students, but human teachers will still be present. Festival goers are also predicted to be able to save money on camping supplies as one in four people (25 percent) suggested that you will be able to go to a festival from the comfort of your home through a VR headset.
In the same vein, 43 percent of Brits believe that virtual reality will be advanced enough to let remote sports enthusiasts ‘sit’ courtside, or in the front row, and experience their favourite team’s game as if they were physically there.
However, there are certain aspects of British culture and life that people believe will stay the way they are. The most significant is that the vast majority of people (72 percent) believe that the nation’s love of talking about the weather will travel across the next two decades.
Other things that are unlikely to change include politicians still lying (62 percent), people will regularly go to the pub (44 percent), and the Sunday Roast (43 percent) and a cup of tea (52 percent) will still be staples of the British diet.
One big contender for things that won’t change in the next 20 years is that Claudia Winkleman will still have her fringe – 24 percent of Brits have faith that this will stay constant.
Technology is the area of life that Brits expect to change the most (62 percent), while over half (56 percent) of people are amazed by how far we have progressed tech wise over the last 20 years. However, only a third of people seem to be ready to embrace new technological changes.
In terms of the Turing Test – whether a computer will be able to show intelligent behaviour equivalent to, or indistinguishable, from a human – views are split. One in three people believe it will definitely happen, while 51 percent are considering it as a possibility.
Mike Blackman, managing director of ISE, said: “It’s clear from the research that while Brits anticipate life becoming unrecognizable in 20 years, they are excited about the possibilities the future holds, particularly with technology enhancing everyday life.
“It might not be recognisable for everyone, but audiovisual technology is the invisible backbone of modern life, shaping experiences and enhancing interactions in ways that impact us all—whether we own the technology or simply benefit from its presence in our everyday environments.”
He added: “The developments in technology they see will be highly beneficial for education and transformative for live events, festivals, and sports through innovations like VR and AI. Fortunately, we are at the forefront and can identify trends and developments several years in advance.
We eagerly look forward to seeing which of the technological developments will finally influence and change our lives.”
We can never fully predict what the future will hold, but this study suggests that the majority of us are excited about the future (64%), with 46 percent of Brits having faith that the world will be a better place in 20 years time.
10 things Brits think that will be different in 2045
- Social media will be banned for under sixteens
- Most manual jobs will be replaced by robots/robotics/AI
- All cars will be electric
- Cash will cease to exist
- Terrestrial TV will be gone
- Climate change will be irreversible
- Social media will come with a health warning
- Driverless cars will be commonplace
- People will routinely live until the age of 100+
- All deliveries will be made by drone
10 thinks Brits think will be the same in 2045
- British people will still talk about/moan about the weather
- Politicians will still lie
- We’ll still enjoy cups of tea
- Books will still be around
- People will still go to the pub
- The Sunday Roast will remain
- We will still go to the theatre
- Coronation Street will still be on TV
- Brits will still love to queue
- Claudia Winkleman will still have a fringe
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