Being human
Microsoft recently published a set of predictions on the future relationship between people and machines, under the snappy title of Being Human: Human-Computer Interaction in the year 2020.
I'm not sure if I'm the only person who pictures a Jetsons-style future when I see reports like that, but I should probably learn to curb my unrealistic expectations. Microsoft's study bears no trace of robot butlers, nor the automatic hovercar I've wanted since watching Blade Runner as a child. All the same, the contents of the report makes for interesting reading.
One of Microsoft's core arguments is that at present, technology tends to be developed to fulfil a specific task or purpose. Someone finds a problem, realises that computers can help and then sets about developing a solution. While there's nothing wrong with this approach, Microsoft predicts that the near future will see things working the other way around - machines will recognise our problems, then build solutions for us.
That sounds a little scary, but in truth what this boils down to is that computers and other smart devices will be so much part of our lives that they'll "understand" what we want and need. Machines will be built into our clothes, our vehicles, our household items. We'll cease to see them as specific tools, but rather as part of our lives.
This is all very exciting stuff to think about. However, there's also slight problem with this ubiquity: it will also make computers effectively invisible.
Like all industries, the technology sector needs a steady supply of new thinkers to ensure its future development – which in practice translates to a steady supply of computing and engineering students. Some people are already worried about the falling members of UK students studying IT, but if technology becomes familiar to the point of becoming quotidian, surely this problem can only get worse?
Microsoft senior researcher Richard Harper isn’t sure. On the one hand, he says, there’s a chance that young people will be ultimately discouraged by an environment where machines can solve all our problems before we even know what they are; Conversely, it is possible that this stable environment will spur people on to try new ideas, to innovate beyond the obvious concerns of society.
Of course, it’s highly unlikely that computers will resolve all our problems in the future – about as likely as a manufacturer producing an affordable robot butler. Despite this, it’s still worth considering about how the here-and-now will affect what happens in a few years’ time. If the UK is to be a contender in tomorrow’s technology industry, we have to make sure that young people are excited by what’s going on today.