Technology moves at a break-neck pace, and nowhere is this more evident than in the present year of 2016. As we continue to push the limits of what is technologically possible, we are slowly breaching the boundaries of what is ethical and moral as well.

The Internet Of Things And Rise Of The "MESH"

Devices nowadays are being fitted with a diverse number of sensors. They are gathering more data than ever and as we analyze usage patterns, they get better at their job. Standalone technologies will soon coordinate with other technologies that we use, creating a network of devices that are in constant communication with each other in order to provide us with the best possible level of service and convenience.

Ambient User Experience

While skeuomorphism was written off as a "shortcut" answer to designing intuitive interfaces, the widespread development in UI and UX systems and the vast collection of data has effectively allowed all kinds of testing and behavior modeling. We will soon be at a point where we will be using our devices and technologies without even realizing that.

Additive Manufacturing Or 3d Printing

3D printers are not new, but they have gained significant relevance in recent times. We are now on the cusp of a manufacturing revolution, with new materials and manufacturing technologies that will help us make things that we thought to be effectively impossible. Printing biological matter such as tissue and food is already a reality.

Autonomous Robots

The use of robots and independently operating standalone units will significantly improve in the coming years. Robots are perfect for replacing humans doing repetitive and easily definable tasks; drivers have been made redundant by self-driving cars. Soon, technology will advance to the point of being operational in non-controlled environments as well, such as commercial airspace.

Security

Widespread data collection has resulted in an epidemic of privacy violations. Information security is paramount in this day where information is practically currency. Security is poised to move from the defensive to the offensive, such as software heuristics that will enable applications to protect themselves from malicious software.

Data Collection And Modelling

We are surrounded by electronic devices armed with a plethora of sensors gathering and recording more information than we know what to do with. We will know soon, though. Analyzing this mountain of data and getting to important conclusions and generating usable models is a prime challenge.

Automation And Machine Learning

Like the car-replaced horses, software subroutines are poised to replace human brains in at least some domains of work. What mechanical muscles did in the 19th century, mechanical minds will do in the 21st. The software has been developed to write music and literature. Most of the world's population is engaged in relatively mundane and repetitive tasks that can be automated easily. One last thing: we have developed software that can write new software: this is the starting point of machine learning and ultimately, artificial intelligence.

The world as we know it is changing, and changing fast. What sights the future has in store for us remains to be seen.