What will the US look like in 2030? | Articles – telegraphherald.com

Having written for various publications for the past 30 years, I have for the most part avoided extending predictions or trends beyond the coming year or two.

But as we close out the decade and move into the new, Ive taken some time to reflect on the past 10 years and look ahead to what I believe are exciting things to come.

Making predictions might be best summarized by being either naive or foolish. Perhaps today, you get a bit of both. But I believe these technological advancements will significantly impact our lives during the next decade.

AI is growing at a pace perhaps not previously seen in human history.

Not only will AI impact the obvious areas predictive analytics and computer-assisted living devices in the home and workplace but even more critically in the field of medicine.

Humans, by 2030, will be helped through computer-assisted living.

Just as contact lenses can monitor diabetic insulin levels, AI will lead to a host of invasive and non-invasive sensors to collect and interpret tens of thousands of human body data points. The information can be shared against a database of millions of other patients to detect anomalies (while never compromising individual privacy).

The shared economy taking root in health care will enable AI to make determinations faster and more mobile.

AI will detect potential issues long before the patient feels sick. And it also will enable providers to create custom treatment plans specific to each patient and his or her symptoms based on the best outcome of treatment by aggregating the non-identifiable data of millions of other individuals.

Lab-grown meat is a dangerous prediction, being both from Iowa and personally loving a quality steak.

That said, with a population that could reach almost 9 billion by 2030, lab-grown meat (from the stem cells of real animals) has the chance to:

Reduce the environmental impact of raising animals.

Reduce the energy input required to raise a pound of fresh meat.

Use tiny spaces to grow significantly large quantities that can feed the world especially calorie-rich food products in countries where raising animals is not a viable option.

The U.S. could be a laggard in this regard, but lab-grown meat has the potential to play a significant role in feeding the world.

The smartphone, or the smart device we carry, will become the go-to for all things technology.

During the next 10 years, we will continue to see the mass deployment of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of micro-satellites that will enable individuals to be as connected to the web as if they were at their desktop at the office regardless of world locale.

The phone will continue to play a less and less significant role in the device. Added features will help run the household, collect volumes of health-related data points and, coupled with AI, suggest products, services and appointments based on complex algorithms.

By 2030, we will indeed have a significant time-saving device at our disposal. Think Siri and Alexa to a power of 10.

Higher education will see a considerable shift in delivery during the upcoming decade.

Some futurists predict as many as 50% of all higher education schools could close, merge or reinvent themselves before 2030. While I believe this prediction is high, I see higher education undergoing the most radical reinvention it has endured since its modern-day existence.

School debt is not sustainable. And some large countries are reporting wages for new graduates to be marginally better than the monthly earnings of unskilled labor.

The upcoming decade will press higher education to deliver knowledge and skills that are immediately transferable to the workplace, and job-training programs will continue to expand. Four-year brick and mortars will continue to be challenged by three-year online programs and, in some cases, 2.5-year programs.

Open-source education will gain increased value with employers by 2030. The cost will put downward pressure on the amount of time necessary to obtain an undergraduate, graduate and terminal degree.

Finally, be prepared to say goodbye to dozens of Fortune 500 companies.

The staying power of a Fortune 500 company has never been shorter. We are in a period of massive disruption.

A dozen or more of the top 100 companies in 2030 have yet to form as a company. And some of the names we trust and hold dear will quietly work their way into obsolescence.

Change is constant, and these predictions highlight the speed at which businesses, organizations and people are expected to change.

Todd Link is Senior Vice President of Risk Management and Remote Delivery at Dupaco Community Credit Union in Dubuque.

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What will the US look like in 2030? | Articles - telegraphherald.com