12th July 2016

Imagining life in 2036

A new survey reveals the technologies Americans think will disrupt traditional industries over the next 20 years.

This survey was inspired by a list of predictions made by Imperial College London's Tech Foresight research team, released as part of Technology Week in London. SMG Insight/YouGov interviewed 2,088 American adults to find their views on technology in 20 years' time. The results show that a large majority of people (69%) believe that physical money will disappear, two-thirds (66%) believe that pizza deliveries via drone will be commonplace and virtual reality will be routinely used for doctors' appointments. About half the respondents believe it likely that communication devices will be commonly embedded in our bodies. The prediction seen as the least likely is that robots will outnumber human beings, with only 26% considering this likely.

Professor David Gann, Vice President of Innovation at Imperial College London, commented: "London's technologists, scientists, medics and entrepreneurs are creating the future. No city in the world enjoys London's quotient of talent, technology, culture and capital. It is a potent combination. It's an environment where ideas flourish, design and innovation is embraced and new technologies are transforming our lives for the better."

Separate research from Accenture recently revealed the impact of technology on the global economy, with its Digital Multiplier report estimating that the digital economy currently represents 22.5 percent of the world's GDP. This is expected to rise to 25 percent by 2020.

The US is the world's most digital economy, with existing digital investments accounting for 33 percent of its output. Accenture's report highlights how digital skills and digital technologies are having impacts across various sectors – 22 percent of the global retail industry's output is derived from digital, 28 percent in health, and 20 percent in consumer goods.

What are your predictions for 2036? Let us know in the comments below...

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