Predictions: 2016 – 2025

The following are excerpted from
the British Telecom Technology Timeline (information
was compiled by Ian Neild and Ian Pearson from
worldwide sci-tech reports in 2005):

• AI technology imitating thinking
  processes of the brain
• AI teachers get better results
  than most human teachers
• AI starts being noticed as a
  source of redundancy
• Computers write most of their
  own software
• Human knowledge is exceeded by
  machine knowledge
• Electronic pets outnumber
  organic pets
• Electronic life form given basic
  rights
• Artificial insects and small
  animals with artificial brains
• AI entity becomes a Member of
  British Parliament
• Smart bacteria contains
  electronics and is linked to net
• AI brings chimpanzee or dolphin
  up to human-level intelligence
• AI entity awarded Nobel
  Prize
• Virus wipes out half of the
  electronic pet population
• Remote-control devices built
  into living pets
• AI entities given the right to
  vote
• Nanotech-based organism colonies
  built
• Synthetic bacteria is
  created
• Artificial sensors used in
  cosmetic upgrade surgery
• Smart makeup works to improve
  people's looks
• Listing of individual's DNA
  for $1 (10M key base pairs)
• More people using telework
  centers than home working
• Telework centers double as
  community resources
• Police force privatized in many
  nations
• Films where viewers can choose
  who acts in each role
• Autonomous production plants
  make everything
• Retirement age begins to be
  linked to a person's medical history
• Holodecks using room lined
  completely with polymer screens
• Thought recognition as an
  everyday input process
• Self-diagnostic, self-repairing
  robots
• War fought entirely between
  robot armies
• ID cards replaced by biometric
  scanning
• Fuel cells replace
  internal-combustion engines
• Life expectancy approaches
  100