Computing 2.0 – Dawn of a New Era

The 21^st Century Computing Revolution

The industrial revolution of the late 18^th, and early 19^th century, marked a major turning point in history. From the large scale production of chemicals, to steam-powered transportation, to the development of machine tools. Breakthrough inventions were to have a significant knock-on effect, a key enabler and door opener for new innovations that would otherwise have been impossible. Almost every aspect of daily life was influenced in some way.

Fast forward to the current day and we are living and breathing a new revolution – the computing revolution. Yet the computing revolution remains very much a work in progress. Whilst computers and the internet have revolutionised the way we work, communicate and collaborate, the best, or worst (depending on your viewpoint), is yet to come.

The Changing Face of Computing – Get Set For A Major Upgrade

Cloud computing, social media and mobile devices are certainly leading the way when we look to the devices and platforms that will enable ubiquitous computing. But it will take an entirely new set of technologies that will truly change the face of computing, powering mankind to the next level of civilisation in the process.

These technologies originate from the very heart of human consciousness – the way in which we see, understand and act. The ways in which make us uniquely human. Yet incredibly, we are rapidly making strides to reverse engineer these capabilities for computer consumption, ultimately blurring our own vision of reality. Welcome to the world of Computing 2.0, a world of interactive, immersive and intelligent computing.

In today’s Computing 1.0 ecosystem human-computer dialogue is a one-way ticket consisting of multiple “on-off” interactions which lack real-time capabilities. You cannot converse with computers in two-way, human-like fashion. You are not eternally plugged-in to a computer-driven environment. You do not receive instantaneous responses to all manner of things. And you simply power-down once finished.

In stark contrast, the emerging Computing 2.0 landscape will give rise to an always-on society living in a permanent mixed-world state – the real world augmented with information, optical illusions and the wildest imaginations of your choice. Computer-driven interactions will be weaved into everyday life, increasingly operating 24/7, with zero down-time. The level of human-computer interaction will increase to unprecedented intelligent levels – a psychological dilemma in waiting – questions arising as to who and what we are actually conversing with. Human being or virtual agent? What is real and what is not?

We will increasingly interact and converse with language-savvy computers as machines become man’s best friend. Looking for advice? Have a burning question? No problem. Ask away.   

The gap between humans and machines will become increasingly blurred as we migrate towards a permanently-connected computing world, powered by intelligent two-way human-computer dialogue. Wearable computing devices will become the norm as we create a perpetual, superimposed, artificial society.  What will start out as a pair of protruding glasses will quickly retreat to less-than-obvious contact lenses, eventually disappearing entirely, as microscopic devices become the computing platform of choice.

Version Change… And A New Era For Mankind

Computing 2.0 will represent a seismic shift in the way in which we consume IT, as we become increasingly reliant, increasingly engaged, and increasingly entangled in technology. Such a dependence will be driven by a series of game-changing technologies gathering pace on the horizon – not yet here, but well on their way. 

Collectively, this set of technologies is poised to disrupt not only the IT and communications industry, but moreover, change the game for civilisation as we know it. And as this new era of civilisation emerges, any type of virtual reality experience will become possible, often indistinguishable from the real thing.  

Rise Of The Robot

So, where are we headed? Well, the emerging Computing 2.0 landscape will pave the way for the rise of the robot, the ultimate prize. The infrastructure, the hardware, the software, the algorithms – each component combining and integrating to create human-like features as machines learn language, develop sight, adopt hearing and embrace a sense of touch. When Robotics finally announces its mainstream introduction, much like the earlier industrial revolution, almost every aspect of daily life will be influenced in some way – this time on an even grander scale.

The subsequent rise of Robotics will indisputably go down as a key milestone in human history. It will be known as the era where truly disruptive technology transformed our world before our very eyes, an era where science fiction became science fact.