This report from the 2015 World Economic Forum is a fascinating snapshot of how some very smart people view a world that is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by software, in virtually every aspect of human experience. Here are the results of what those surveyed expect to occur by 2025.
What’s surprising is that in just over a year, one can imagine that if the survey was given again to the same people, the outcome would be significantly different. For example #21 has already happened, #7 is getting close, #3 looks wildly optimistic and #13 looks promising – but needs more precise definition.
| Tipping Points Expected to Occur by 2025 | % agreeing | |
| 1 | 10% of people wearing clothes connected to the internet | 91.2 |
| 2 | 90% of people having unlimited and free (advertising-supported) storage | 91.0 |
| 3 | 1 trillion sensors connected to the internet | 89.2 |
| 4 | The first robotic pharmacist in the US | 86.5 |
| 5 | 10% of reading glasses connected to the internet | 85.5 |
| 6 | 80% of people with a digital presence on the internet | 84.4 |
| 7 | The first 3D-printed car in production | 84.1 |
| 8 | The first government to replace its census with big-data sources | 82.9 |
| 9 | The first implantable mobile phone available commercially | 81.7 |
| 10 | 5% of consumer products printed in 3D | 81.1 |
| 11 | 90% of the population using smartphones | 80.7 |
| 12 | 90% of the population with regular access to the internet | 78.8 |
| 13 | Driverless cars equaling 10% of all cars on US roads | 78.2 |
| 14 | The first transplant of a 3D-printed liver | 76.4 |
| 15 | 30% of corporate audits performed by AI | 75.4 |
| 16 | Tax collected for the first time by a government via a blockchain | 73.1 |
| 17 | Over 50% of internet traffic to homes for appliances and devices | 69.9 |
| 18 | Globally more trips/journeys via car sharing than in private cars | 67.2 |
| 19 | The first city with more than 50,000 people and no traffic lights | 63.7 |
| 20 | 10% of global gross domestic product stored on blockchain technology | 57.9 |
| 21 | The first AI machine on a corporate board of directors | 45.2 |
In any case it is clear that the underlying forces and trends that are the source of these projections are getting clearer, and, in many cases stronger, every year. The report is a touchstone to remind us how fast things are changing and well worth re-reading every year.