UAE report makes 100 forecasts for a high-tech future

DAVOS, Switzerland: Nine in ten cars will be “self-driving”, smart robots will sit on company boards, and “hypersonic” planes will whizz above us at 6,100 kph… These are just three forecasts made in a UAE report of how the world could look over the next 40 years.
The “State of the Future” report, a first if its kind, was unveiled on Wednesday in Davos and contains over 100 forecasts.
It was prepared in collaboration with 21 experts from organizations such as NASA, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“Today, we steadily move a step further in our mission to build the future, relying on sound studies performed by a prominent group of experts and specialists exploring the future of key sectors,” said UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future Mohammed Al-Gergawi.
“These studies will serve as a reference for us as we strive to accurately forecast the trends of the future. They will also serve as an incentive for all sorts of organizations to start working on solutions for the challenges that will arise in the future,” added Al-Gergawi, who is also head of the Dubai Future Foundation.
“The report announces 112 predictions for the future of strategic sectors, such as energy, transport, and space, revealing that by 2020, 20% of households will run on solar energy, while electric, self-driving cars will make up 90% of all vehicles by 2035.”
By 2042 artificial intelligence will play a major role on companies’ boards of directors and will be making many of their financial decisions, the report forecast. By 2050, meanwhile, technology will be seamlessly integrated into our homes, with robots cleaning and cooking for us, and our furnishings automatically adapting to our body shapes and temperatures.
By 2025, experts predict, personal ownership of cars will be a thing of the past in the US, while by 2030 “hypersonic” airliners with a cruising speed of 6,100 kph and excellent fuel efficiency will enter widespread commercial use.