Jeff Cohen was one of the people interviewed for this article in Raleigh News & Observer today about the Future of the Internet:
In 2020, powerful mobile phones will rule, privacy will erode further and the line between work and home life will be faint, if not obliterated.
That's what 578 technology gurus see in their crystal balls, according to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The survey, "Future of the Internet III," conducted by Pew and Elon University, envisions amazing advances in mobile devices, virtual reality, voice and touch technology -- possibly even communication between mind and machine.
But will the innovation lead to better lives?
Maybe not.
"There is an undercurrent of worry in these experts about whether people will use the technology for good or for ill," says Lee Rainie, director of the Pew project.
Although cheap, accessible technology will spread throughout the world, it won't necessarily level the economic playing field or lead to better social understanding, the technologists believe.
In an always-on world, career choice will be key, says Janna Anderson, associate professor at Elon. "If you're going to be living your work, you need to find something that suits you so well it won't seem like work."
Read the whole thing.
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