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[RetroGamingUK]

What would you say was the biggest tech trend of the last few decades and what do you predict for the next few decades?

For me…

1980s - Home and office computers
Suddenly these devices become affordable and we see a huge adoption of computers in buildings. Offices become full of IBMs and at home people have the likes of Commodore, Sinclair and Apple machines , gaming also takes off at home with Atari and Nintendo becoming household names.

1990s - Worldwide Web
Invented in 1989, by the mid 90s it started to become mainstream. The dot com bubble, Amazon, Google, Napster and internet cafes all emerge in this decade.

2000s - Social media
Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Myspace all take off in this decade as everyone else gets online. The way people communicate and organise communities is turned upside down.

2010s - Mobile computers
Yes, mobile phones and laptops have existed since the 80s, but for the first time everyone has a computer with them at all times. iPhones, iPads and Android devices are totally ubiquitous finally leading to the almost total collapse of retail and traditional banking.

2020s - Artificial intelligence
ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok and Apple Intelligence are all born in this decade eventually changing the way we work and interact with machines. By the end of the decade entry level white collar jobs are decimated.

2030s - Humanoid robots
The likes of Tesla Bot and Unitree G1 are available for the price of a car by the mid 30s, and by the end of the decade most people won't bat an eyelid when they see one walk down the street. Protests about ethics, surveillance become common, especially amongst those who lost their entry level white collar jobs.

2040s - AI brain interfaces
Smart glasses and implants are becoming affordable and common, for those left behind by AI, these are seen as a way to catch up with the smarter people who kept their jobs. At this point millennials like myself are getting old and feeling lost, I'll finally understand how confused my grandparents felt watching me play videogames and use computers and mobiles back in the 90s

2050s - Space travel
Available to the rich for a couple of decades now, this finally enters the mainstream just as airplanes started to become common in the 1950s. Major cities are now getting their own space ports. While humans have landed on Mars, trips to Mars are very rare.

What do you guys think?

 

[Davesky]

80s - PC, VCR, Cassettes, Video games

90s - Cable TV, Internet, Email, CDs

00s - Mobile phones, Broadband, WiFi, P2P, Instant Messaging, DVD, Early good social media

10s - Smartphones, 4G, Streaming services, Later shit algorithm driven social media and it's normalization

20s - AI, Augmented Reality, EVs

30s - Internet of Things, Wireless Power Transfer, Quantum computing, Human Augmentation

 

[RetroGamingUK]

80s - PC, VCR, Cassettes, Video games

90s - Cable TV, Internet, Email, CDs

00s - Mobile phones, Broadband, WiFi, P2P, Instant Messaging, DVD, Early good social media

10s - Smartphones, 4G, Streaming services, Later shit algorithm driven social media and it's normalization

20s - AI, Augmented Reality, EVs

30s - Internet of Things, Wireless Power Transfer, Quantum computing, Human Augmentation

Good list

In terms of retail availability the ones I bolded were available a decade before.

However it does take time for things to become affordable.

I always find it funny how luddites and, mostly, older people will criticise and write off new tech only to mass adoption it a decade later.

 

[The Lunch Legend]

2030s - The elimination of genders.

 

[EverydayBeast]

According to Joe Rogan and Elon computers will be offered as brain stimulants, we of course know how that worked out in Cyberpunk.

 

[ReasonBeing]

What would you say was the biggest tech trend of the last few decades and what do you predict for the next few decades?

For me…

1980s - Home and office computers
Suddenly these devices become affordable and we see a huge adoption of computers in buildings. Offices become full of IBMs and at home people have the likes of Commodore, Sinclair and Apple machines , gaming also takes off at home with Atari and Nintendo becoming household names.

1990s - Worldwide Web
Invented in 1989, by the mid 90s it started to become mainstream. The dot com bubble, Amazon, Google, Napster and internet cafes all emerge in this decade.

2000s - Social media
Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Myspace all take off in this decade as everyone else gets online. The way people communicate and organise communities is turned upside down.

2010s - Mobile computers
Yes, mobile phones and laptops have existed since the 80s, but for the first time everyone has a computer with them at all times. iPhones, iPads and Android devices are totally ubiquitous finally leading to the almost total collapse of retail and traditional banking.

2020s - Artificial intelligence
ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok and Apple Intelligence are all born in this decade eventually changing the way we work and interact with machines. By the end of the decade entry level white collar jobs are decimated.

2030s - Humanoid robots
The likes of Tesla Bot and Unitree G1 are available for the price of a car by the mid 30s, and by the end of the decade most people won't bat an eyelid when they see one walk down the street. Protests about ethics, surveillance become common, especially amongst those who lost their entry level white collar jobs.

2040s - AI brain interfaces
Smart glasses and implants are becoming affordable and common, for those left behind by AI, these are seen as a way to catch up with the smarter people who kept their jobs. At this point millennials like myself are getting old and feeling lost, I'll finally understand how confused my grandparents felt watching me play videogames and use computers and mobiles back in the 90s

2050s - Space travel
Available to the rich for a couple of decades now, this finally enters the mainstream just as airplanes started to become common in the 1950s. Major cities are now getting their own space ports. While humans have landed on Mars, trips to Mars are very rare.

What do you guys think?

I like the list and appreciate your explanations, but I would put brain or neural interfaces ahead of humanoid robots. Neural interfaces have seemingly limitless potential across personal and industrious applications. Not to take away from the labor potential of a robotic workforce, I just think their are more opportunities to market a neural based computing or remote control solution.

In both cases, we already have examples of these technologies we can point to in today's world. It seems to me that neural interfaces (both direct brain control or skin surface sensors) are closer to becoming a real product. Not only that, the costs of robot production are always going to be higher, due to the inherit mechanical complexity and power requirements of such a product.

Who knows though, maybe the majority of people will reject such a technology.

Side bar: While it is not using a direct to brain interface, we can look at Meta's neural bracelet demo to see how easy these things can be plugged directly into the types of technology that are right around the corner. With Apple, Google, and Meta all looking to ship their AR products within the next few years, I imagine at least one is going to release some neural control method either alongside this launch, or shortly thereafter.

I can imagine a TV or computer display with Meta Connect or Google Control built in. You look at the screen while wearing your AR glasses, and you immediately have direct control using eye tracking and pinching your fingers to click.

 

[bitbydeath]

50's - Television / Cars became popular
60's - Cordless phones
70's - Movies SFX took a huge leap

 

[The Pleasure]

2030s - The elimination of genders.

I prefer elimination of lunch theft.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

What would you say was the biggest tech trend of the last few decades and what do you predict for the next few decades?

For me…

1980s - Home and office computers
Suddenly these devices become affordable and we see a huge adoption of computers in buildings. Offices become full of IBMs and at home people have the likes of Commodore, Sinclair and Apple machines , gaming also takes off at home with Atari and Nintendo becoming household names.

1990s - Worldwide Web
Invented in 1989, by the mid 90s it started to become mainstream. The dot com bubble, Amazon, Google, Napster and internet cafes all emerge in this decade.

2000s - Social media
Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Myspace all take off in this decade as everyone else gets online. The way people communicate and organise communities is turned upside down.

2010s - Mobile computers
Yes, mobile phones and laptops have existed since the 80s, but for the first time everyone has a computer with them at all times. iPhones, iPads and Android devices are totally ubiquitous finally leading to the almost total collapse of retail and traditional banking.

2020s - Artificial intelligence
ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok and Apple Intelligence are all born in this decade eventually changing the way we work and interact with machines. By the end of the decade entry level white collar jobs are decimated.

2030s - Humanoid robots
The likes of Tesla Bot and Unitree G1 are available for the price of a car by the mid 30s, and by the end of the decade most people won't bat an eyelid when they see one walk down the street. Protests about ethics, surveillance become common, especially amongst those who lost their entry level white collar jobs.

2040s - AI brain interfaces
Smart glasses and implants are becoming affordable and common, for those left behind by AI, these are seen as a way to catch up with the smarter people who kept their jobs. At this point millennials like myself are getting old and feeling lost, I'll finally understand how confused my grandparents felt watching me play videogames and use computers and mobiles back in the 90s

2050s - Space travel
Available to the rich for a couple of decades now, this finally enters the mainstream just as airplanes started to become common in the 1950s. Major cities are now getting their own space ports. While humans have landed on Mars, trips to Mars are very rare.

What do you guys think?

Good list. The only one I'm not sold on is space travel being mainstream. I think we'll have pioneers attempting a colony on Mars in the 50s, though.

I fully intend to resist the inevitable hivemind/human singularity that comes with AI/brain interfacing. Too much incentive for The Powers That Be to use that as a Trojan horse for total control.

 

[lachesis]

One thing I hope that will happen by 2040 is an intelligent and affordable humanoid aid robot which can do a lot of housework, and affordable self driving car (to help out my independence at old age)

I think former (humanoid aid for elderly) will be a big hit or almost an requirement in developed countries, as population become much older with less younger demographic.