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Technology doesn’t always develop along the pathways we expect it to. The disappointment we collectively felt in 2015 when Back to the Future Day came, and we still didn’t have hoverboards or sleep-inducing gadgets has finally worn off. It did teach us a few things about how we think about tech and innovation though.
It showed us that what we imagine for the future and what we need in the moment are vastly different. We might dream of flying cars, teleporters and memory scanners, but real tech innovations are the result of smaller steps. There are practical and commercial considerations too. For example, it’s hard to imagine any major changes to cars when automotive companies are so powerful.
That doesn’t mean that today’s tech is all boring. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The developments we’re seeing today are shaping the futuristic devices of tomorrow. This article will review some of the latest innovations in tech and discuss what they could lead to in the coming decades.
Live Gaming technology
One of the biggest trends in online Geme Websites for the last few years has been live dealer games. These games allow players to interact with the dealer and the cards, dice or roulette wheel. Live games mimic the experience of being at a traditional gaming places and provide a more immersive experience than normal online gaming.
These games work by employing a variety of established technologies in smart ways. Multiple cameras record and stream both the dealer and the table. There are monitors placed behind the cameras’ view that allow the dealer to see what the players are doing with their cards and any messages they’ve sent. Optical character recognition (OCR) software brings it all together. OCR converts the images that the camera records — in this case the cards, dice or roulette wheel — into data that the player can then interact with on their device.
None of this technology is groundbreaking, but how it’s all being used together is new. Playing live roulette online provides some indication of how far this tech has come and how close we are to a fully VR online gaming. We’re already seeing some live dealer game studios experimenting with new types of games inspired by board games and television game shows. Incorporating an AR or VR element is the realistic next step so that players can do more than just play the game — they can feel like they’re in the studio too.
Lab grown meat
When lab grown meat was introduced as a very real possibility, consumers were confused. They imagined steaks in beakers and chickens emerging from petri dishes. In reality, lab grown meat is a type of synthetic biology that combines stem cells with amino acids and carbohydrates to grow “real” meat.
The technology involved in producing lab grown meat is extensive and cutting edge. Some of the key technologies involved include tissue engineering, cell lines and cell culture media, bioprocess design and 3D cell culture platforms.
The UK has recently approved the use of lab grown meat for pet food. This is the first major step towards it being available for human consumption in the country. It could have a huge positive impact on climate change and reduce animal cruelty if it becomes widespread. If the technology is developed further, it could be used to produce other types of tissue. This could lead to lab grown organs and save countless lives.
Artificial intelligence
One of the most widely discussed tech topics is artificial intelligence (AI). AI has rapidly been adapted to suit nearly every industry. A quick scan of recent headlines includes numerous discussions of how AI is being used in construction, data analysis, SEO, dentistry, PC optimisation, investing, language learning and business growth.
AI is a powerful tool that employs specialised algorithms to analyse extensive data sets. The algorithms produce answers in response to the user’s query. AI can be asked to identify potentially effective pharmaceutical molecules or to write an essay on a Shakespearean sonnet — or anything in between. It’s extremely versatile technology.
When we look a little more closely, it’s hard to envision a future where unrestrained AI doesn’t have serious negative consequences. Unfortunately, it may already be too late to avoid many of them, as deep fakes and other AI generated images have already undermined our ability to trust our own eyes. To enable AI to be a positive tool in the future, we’ll need to find ways to mitigate its potential for harm.
