IEEE Report Predicts Tech That Will Transform Lives
View original at spectrum.ieee.orgIEEE Spectrum - Technical Title: IEEE Report Predicts Tech That Will Transform Lives Date: 2026-10-07 18:00 Source: https://spectrum.ieee.org/ieee-report-predicts-tech <img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/line-drawing-of-an-ai-humanoid-surrounded-by-representations-of-biomedical-research-surveillance-and-p…
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The technology is seeing a fundamental shift in how it evolves.
60% confidenceAcademia, industry, governments, and professional associations should work together; industry should partner on training programs, revive apprenticeships in physical sciences, and treat AI infrastructure as a long-term strategic asset; governments should lead on policy and reintegration programs for workers displaced by AI.
60% confidenceThe report shifts the conversation to how these advances will intersect to shape human lives; trust, safety, and human connection must guide every major breakthrough in the decade ahead.
60% confidenceWithin two years, genetic engineering and gene therapy will be used in therapeutic areas.
60% confidenceBy 2028, genetic engineering and gene therapy will be used frequently to treat a variety of diseases, thanks to advances in AI.
60% confidenceLack of computing infrastructure and energy sources constrains the ability to scale AI, and AI growth will require reshaping the workforce.
60% confidenceSemiconductor manufacturing using parts built in space and more affordable reusable rockets are on the near horizon; clean energy generation in space and commercialization of orbital garbage collection are technologies to watch in the next decade.
60% confidenceSpace is not lagging; it reflects the current state of maturity, and the space sector will become increasingly important in coming years.
60% confidenceWithin two to three years, energy storage will double in developed countries.
60% confidenceFactory androids will use tactile and haptic feedback within two to five years, and bio-inspired skin, tissues, and sensors will advance in the same timeframe.
60% confidenceUnder the Jevons paradox, as AI chip efficiency improves organizations will run more hardware to build larger frontier models, and data centers will draw as much power as grids can supply, leaving no surplus.
60% confidenceProgress must be measured by more than technology development and implementation speed; the success of the megatrends depends on ensuring innovation strengthens human well-being and public trust.
60% confidenceThe energy industry has been relatively dormant for years, with little breakthrough innovation since the times of Edison and Tesla; governments will have to rethink power generation to stay ahead of demand.
60% confidenceWithin five years, earlier disease diagnoses will move from the lab into day-to-day medical practice, and researchers will likely be able to manufacture simple synthetic proteins to perform specific jobs in the body.
60% confidenceAI adoption isn't an all-or-nothing approach; businesses should decide when and how to apply it.
60% confidenceCommunications between humans and AI will shift from text-based commands to predominantly audio and video instructions within two to three years.
60% confidenceAI is no longer operating in a vacuum; it is now deeply connected to energy, infrastructure, and physical systems.
60% confidenceSmarter, more efficient robots will substantially cut energy consumption in the next two years.
60% confidenceAI technology is advancing faster than any previous revolution, including industrial, electrical, and digital.
60% confidencePersonalized medicine was scored the highest-impact technology at 4.93 out of 5.
60% confidenceHuman-AI interaction has the shortest adoption horizon of the 30 scored technologies, at two to three years; physical AI has the biggest chance of technical advancement of any megatrend in the next four years.
60% confidence