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Humans and technology

Five forces that will shape the future

These are the big trends of the coming decades that need to be considered for any new technologies to be successful.
February 26, 2020

 

US wealth gap

Since 2007 the bottom 50% has had zero or negative wealth (i.e., debt).

1980 

  • Top 10% of people: 65% of wealth
  • Middle 40% of people: 34% of wealth
  • Bottom 50% of people: .01% of wealth

2014

  • Top 10% of people: 73% of wealth
  • Middle 40% of people: 27% of wealth

Source: World Inequality Database (2018)


Data explosion

We’re going to need better storage, processing, and privacy.

bar chart

Source: IDC Research, The Digitization of the World. From Edge to Core. (2018)


Rise in average global temperatures

As surface temperatures increase, so will sea levels, extreme storms, and habitat disruption.

thermometer showing temperature rise

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Climate at a Glance (2020)


Language extinction

From 1950 to 2010, 230 languages went extinct. Today, a third of the world’s languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers left.

Source: UNESCO World Language Atlas (2010); Ethnologue: Languages of the World (2019)


An older population

Today, 9% of the global population is over 65. That’s going to grow in the next decades, redefining work, health care, and our economy.

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019). 

Deep Dive

Humans and technology

Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives

The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.

A new operating system for health care

A reimagined IT infrastructure for health care could reorient us from sickness to wellness.

Introducing the chief trust officer

Building and maintaining stakeholder trust is now a key responsibility across the C-suite

How to teach kids who flip between book and screen

Technology is changing how we read—and that means we need to rethink how we teach.

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Illustration by Rose Wong

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