I think there is a big shift toward “self-improvement” tech. The first big wave has been nootropics, although the hype around that stuff has subsided it seems.

I think there is a big shift toward “self-improvement” tech. The first big wave has been nootropics, although the hype around that stuff has subsided it seems. There are researchers still actively looking at ways to improve standard bearers such as modafinil. A second push toward wearable devices is probably coming. I think Snapchat’s glasses probably cracked some of the stigma around that, at least for younger millennials. We won’t see the same type of stigma that Google Glass had, especially once Apple gets in the game. This will necessitate new conversations around privacy in the public space, although this time around the conversation will be led by people who might not necessarily have grown up expecting that luxury anyway. Another big movement is Neuralink and similar physical brain enhancement. The degree to which these could change an individual’s lived experience is probably hard to imagine. I somewhat expect something like having a Dropbox-memory with Wikipedia-levels of factual knowledge. The ability to synthesize and digest this amount of data will become the new ground on which individuals differentiate themselves. Knowledge and social management applications will become essential, ie things similar to Roam or CRM-style apps for your social life. I am curious about how the near future will impact pop culture. Maybe our tech will be able to sense what music we want to listen to in the moment? Maybe algorithms will start proactively incorporating the preferences of groups of people, instead of individuals, to make suggestions? Will music and film become shorter to fit into tinier and tinier slices of attention? For what it’s worth, futurism is one of my passions. I predicted services like Stadia 6 years ago. I’m still a little salty about how badly it has turned out...