Notable predictions about the world in 2040

Information becomes the new source of capital; Whichever country, organization or individual creates and possesses more high-quality information will play a greater role in the future. After the problems of science and life technology regarding brain-computer interfaces and memory chips are resolved, humans can become immortal. Many universities will close and many jobs in the education sector will be lost.

'As an academic, I have many worries about the future, war, famine, climate disasters, viruses, economic recession. However, I still hope the world will be better in 2040. In 2040, the global economy will be even larger, capable of solving the problem of poverty in the world, which is currently directly affecting 1 billion people' , Professor Wang Wen, Renmin University of China, shared when writing an article for the Valdai Club Youth Conference held in March 2024 in the Russian city of Sochi.

Information becomes the new source of capital

In recent years, information has become a new source of capital. Among the world's top 500 companies, more and more companies focus on information technology and digital technology. 'FAANG' information technology companies ( Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) have the largest holdings, accounting for more than 40% of the total market capitalization of the US stock market.

People with more data and information will be stronger and dominate the world. (Illustration photo: NEXT Conference).

The ability to collect and produce information will determine how wealth is managed and distributed over the next 20 years. If you look at famous people online, you will know that someone with 10 million followers has much more influence than someone with $10 million. Whether it is a country, organization or individual, if more high-quality information can be produced, it will play a greater role in the future.

Whoever makes better use of smart technology will be able to occupy a more favorable social position. However, if disadvantaged groups can use technology well, they can turn their lives around. Many grassroots Internet celebrities have completely changed their fortunes in just a few years, even months. But on the other hand, new inequalities will appear around the world. People with more data and information will be stronger and dominate the world. This is a new uncertainty facing humanity.

Living standards and life expectancy increased sharply

People 200 years ago only had an average lifespan of about 40 years. On average, people born after 2000 can live to be 80 years old. In the next 20 years, if there are no world wars, pandemics or climate disasters, human life expectancy will certainly increase significantly. With current medical technology, humans could very well have an average life expectancy of 90 years or even over 100 years old by the 2040s.

According to the vision of American technology billionaire Elon Musk, within the next 20 years, after life science and technology problems of brain-computer interfaces and memory chips are resolved, people will even immortality can be achieved. Humanity also faces the possibility of eternal digital life. From these perspectives, within the next 20 years, human existence and life will usher in an unprecedented revolutionary new paradigm shift and a new era of civilization that transcends civilization. Industrial civilization will come.

Education contributes to shaping the future economy

Education will witness an unprecedented paradigm revolution in the future . The concept of university and professor will become unfamiliar. Traditionally, universities and professors occupy the position of first party in education because they have a monopoly on knowledge and information. However, this educational structure will fall apart.

In the next 20 years, many universities will close and many jobs in education will be lost. When information and knowledge become free and no longer monopolized, everyone will be able to become an economic value creator in education by reorganizing knowledge and creating new knowledge. Furthermore, while the cost of producing common goods continues to decline, the cost of creating high-quality education and knowledge increases. Education and entertainment will merge. People want to enjoy better educational experiences just as they pursued better food, nicer clothes, and bigger homes in the past. A good video, a good novel or a good song will create higher economic growth.

Professor Wang Wen also predicted that the digital revolution has both leveled many inequalities and created some new ones ; Technological advances liberate the brain; more countries with free medical care; The world reduces its dependence on natural resources; emerging economies contribute to peace; Demographic trends impact the global economy, the population of developed countries will decrease sharply; Great powers leverage climate discourse; The role of individuals in these fields increased sharply; More globalization…

The service industry dominates

Smart technology will certainly reshape the job market. In the future, people will participate less and less in agriculture, industry or manufacturing activities. A large number of jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), including teaching. People will participate more in the service industry, especially the service industry with the main goal of creating favorable conditions for enjoying life.

Currently, in developed countries, the service industry accounts for more than 80% of the total economy. The proportion of developing countries participating in the service industry is still relatively low, but will increase in the future. Another change in employment is that information skills will become essential skills for employment. Good programming skills, data analysis skills. will all be skills that young people must learn. Nowadays, being good at foreign languages ​​and knowing how to drive can help young people find better jobs. Likewise in the future, data capabilities will help young people find jobs more easily.

AI has a major impact on society and the economy

AI technology innovation based on data algorithms has significantly improved the overall development efficiency of social activities, but it also carries huge, unpredictable technical risks, like a 'double-edged sword'. such as food shortages, financial fluctuations, economic crises, military conflicts and become a new variable reshaping the basic logic of future social activities. This will prompt unprecedented debate and impasse over the ethics of technology.

Smart technology expands the time and space of human activities, but at the same time, there is also a new risk that human labor will gradually be replaced, people may lose control of the world and place. his ruler. On this point, I agree with Musk's thoughts. How we regulate the development of AI will become an extremely important issue over the next 20 years.