We are now but hours away from the year 2023. Seems weird to say. We haven’t quite made it to the futuristic cyberpunk land that 2023 should be, in my opinion. But, we have some self-driving cars and plenty of drones now, (delivering pizzas and packages in limited areas). We have mainstream smartwatches and immersive Virtual Reality (again). Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made a lot of inroads, including art, conversation, and music.
2022 was, overall, a pretty good year for my family and me, notwithstanding COVID. I continued to work from home, celebrating my 25th year at my job. For sure, a lot has changed during that time.
It’s also been almost 23 years since my father passed, just after the turn of the century. Technology sneaks up on us, gradually coaxing us to use it, so sometimes it’s hard to see how “the future” would look unfolding to someone from the past. I often try to measure changes in technology in our daily lives by thinking about what he would find surprising if he suddenly jumped 23 years into the future.
Cell phones were barely a thing in 2000, so that would probably be the “weirdest” thing if he were suddenly living again — that everyone has this tiny computer in their pocket, on which they can read any book, watch any movie, talk to anyone on Earth, or listen to any song would be pretty mind-blowing.
We don’t recognize it, but advertising is everywhere. Think about it. In the 1980s, there weren’t even ads on Mcdonald’s restaurant windows. Now every parking space bollard, toll booth, restaurant window, metal detector, and gas pump handle has them. That would be pretty jarring for someone from around 2000 to see today.
Speaking of AI, I decided to ask ChatGPT (a popular question-answering AI that became famous this year) what it thought. Here’s what it said:
| Q: “What about society and technology would surprise someone who died in the year 2000, if they were alive today?“ A: “There have been many significant technological and societal changes since the year 2000 that might surprise someone who was alive at that time. Here are a few examples: The proliferation of smartphones and mobile internet: In the year 2000, smartphones and mobile internet were in their infancy. Today, these technologies are ubiquitous and have transformed the way we communicate, access information, and do business. The rise of social media: Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram did not exist in 2000. Today, these platforms are a major part of many people’s daily lives and have significantly changed the way we connect with others and share information. The increase in online shopping and e-commerce: Online shopping and e-commerce were still in their early stages in 2000. Today, these technologies have revolutionized the way we shop and have made it possible for people to purchase almost anything from the comfort of their own homes. The impact of artificial intelligence: While AI has been around for decades, it has become much more advanced and widespread in the 21st century. AI is now used in a variety of applications, including image and speech recognition, self-driving cars, and language translation. The ongoing debate over climate change: In 2000, the impacts of climate change were not as widely recognized as they are today. Today, climate change is a major issue of concern and there is ongoing debate over how to address it. The role of technology in politics: The use of technology in politics has also changed significantly since 2000. Social media, in particular, has played a major role in shaping public discourse and political campaigns.” |
Touche, ChatGPT, touche. E-commerce and Social Media are great ideas to add to what I had outlined above.