Unless you’re a techy, you might not know what IoT actually stands for; the Internet of Things is self-explanatory, a web network for things, namely digital devices. Billions of minicomputers talking to each other at the speed of light, the plant will be embraced by zillions of ones and zeros and all of this will be managed by AI.
Artificial Intelligence – It is the last invention of mankind?
Some tech wizards are already warning of impending doom; a terminator-style apocalypse where AI seeks out all human life with extermination as the focus! Why would AI do that? Good question, and if we were to ask you, “What species does the most damage on this planet?” You would find it hard to choose anything other than humanity and how long do you think it would take AI to figure that out?
Managing Massive Networks
Air traffic control is a good example of how AI will manage a global network; experts say within 3 years, the human will be taken out of the loop and the lives of air travellers will be firmly in the hands of AI. Road traffic is being integrated into the IoT, with trial cities using AI to manage road and rail networks; if every vehicle is fitted with a specific device, collisions would be impossible, as the brakes would be applied long before impact. In theory, there would be no road traffic accidents. Tesla is leading the way for automated driving, with cutting-edge cameras and real-time response. Of course, there are teething troubles, as with every new technology, but the rate of development is scary. Automated transport is the future and we will be safer for it. If you want to drive a V8, you’ll have to book at a racetrack, there won’t be any internal combustion engines on our roads by 2040, which will help with the green transformation that is planned. If you lined up all the telecom cables in Australia, you could reach the moon, or further!
Smart Homes
A fully automated smart home would be managed by AI, every single appliance, system, device and gadget would be in constant communication with the central controller (a small box on the wall). This allows you to do stuff like set the climate control remotely, start the dinner cooking using an app on your phone, you can monitor your home via the CCTV in real-time, from anywhere on the planet! If there was a malfunction, you would be notified, while an automated message would be sent to the maintenance team. In the event a person forced entry into your home, the management system would activate an emergency call to the police, while sirens might fire up.
Global Control
The IoT will enable supercomputers to manage global systems efficiently; shipping, air traffic, railway networks, all will be managed by AI. Machine learning has unlimited potential and it will become a major part of everyone’s life; development is ongoing and where it ends, no one knows! Click here to explore the latest tech innovations.
Instant Financial Transfers
The Blockchain sector is booming, as move into the era of digital currency, which, at the moment, is a non-governed sector, allowing finance companies to access all markets. It is now possible to send money anywhere in the world without dealing with banks, Bitcoin, for example, is anonymous and cheaper than traditional money transfers, while the growth of other cryptocurrencies is steady.
Internet 2.0
This is the platform we are currently using, with billions of km of fibre-optic cabling running under cities, sending data in all directions. Low-orbit 5G satellites are being launched by SpaceX at an alarming rate, enabling every square metre of the planet with high-speed Internet connectivity. Click here for a PDF document from the Australian government concerning IoT.
Metaverse
This is the Internet 3.0, a virtual world that users can explore; try to imagine having a meeting with someone in a virtual room, you are sitting in a virtual chair opposite the avatar of the other party; when he speaks, you see the face move and it is no different than a face-to-face encounter. The world of online gaming will be insane, as players battle their way through digital mazes wearing a VR headset; if you have yet to try VR, it won’t be long before an opportunity presents itself. There are those who say we are moving away from nature, so much so that it impacts us! We think it is important to find a balance between technology and nature and that can be achieved with some self-discipline.
Voice over Internet Protocol
Known as VoIP, this enables audio and video transmission via the Internet and while VoIP technology is nothing new, it has now developed to enable 4k video in real time. Telephone calls will soon be a thing of the past, indeed, for many people, they already are! Popular VoIP platforms include Zoom, Skype, which is Microsoft owned, Line and Messenger, all of which can be used freely.
Digital Device ID
In order for the IoT to work as intended, every digital device must have a unique ID; something to identify the device and make it contactable, everything from your smartphone to your heating thermostat is connected to the network and it won’t be long before your car will have to be kitted out with a digital ID that the network automatically picks up when you leave your driveway.
Nothing will stop the continuous development of digital tech and like it or not, we are all having to get on board as we enter a new dimension of digital connectivity. What has been achieved in the last 100 years is nothing short of miraculous and where it will end no one knows for sure.
This is an exciting time to be alive and we are privileged to be able to witness life-changing advancements in all areas of life.