AI in 2033 (not written by ChatGPT)

On a Sunday morning in our Aussie summer, as I mull about the week and year ahead, I thought I would stretch my mind to consider how AI would be used in various industries in the future. I generally focus on AI applications in healthcare in my practice and will continue to do so but for once I wanted to hazard some predictions about the impact of AI generally ten years from now.

Consider it is 29th January 2033 and as you cast your analytical mind across the business, healthcare, automotive, finance, judicial, and arts sectors, you note the following.

Robots: The presence of robots has expanded beyond the industrial sector. Domestic robots are ubiquitous with their use in various domestic tasks. Also, robots are being used for security patrols, home deliveries and providing companionship and care to relevant people.

Virtual Actors: Human actors are now competing with AI (virtual actors) copyrighted to studios or companies reminiscent of the early twentieth century when studios owned actors. AI-powered animation, NLP and special effects have advanced to the point, one cannot distinguish between human and AI-generated actors on the screen diminishing the need to rely on fickle celebrities for screen productions.

Art: AI-generated art has become a phenomenon of its own, with 'augmented art' becoming sought after. With it becoming practically impossible to distinguish between human and AI-generated art, it is accepted that any painting produced after 2030 are entirely AI-generated or a hybrid of human and AI talent. To enable the generation of high-quality art, competitions, where human artists equipped with AI software are required to deliver art as per themes, are offered.

Judiciary: Most of the non-serious or civil litigations are analysed and abjudicated by 'AI Judges'. With the backlog of cases in many civil and family courts, authorities have introduced AI-driven applications to screen and make recommendations or rulings. These applications draw upon jurisprudence and best practice to suggest recommendations or make rulings. To make these 'AI Judges' acceptable to the community, human judiciary panels provide oversight.

Robo-Taxis: In most developed countries' urban centres, taxis are now self-driven with a centralised command centre directing the vehicles to customers' to-and-fro destinations upon request. These robot taxis in addition to electric powered also have hydrogen fuel options and can cover a large range of distances.

AI Clinics: These multi-model and multi-outcome AI-driven health centres offer screening/triaging and low-risk clinical care to registered patients and have become the default clinics in many geographical areas across the world. Continued healthcare workforce shortages and raising healthcare expenditure led authorities in the UK and China to pilot these centres in their cities in 2029-2030. Independent evaluation and peer-reviewed studies published in the Lancet and NEJM in 2031 indicated efficacious, safe and high-quality care for certain medical conditions delivered at low cost. Drawing upon these several entrepreneurs and companies have developed portable environmentally friendly facilities with integrated multi-modal AI and telefacilities. Governments have negotiated with these suppliers to trial these facilities in their urban and regional centres.

Change to the Name: Well, AI is still called AI in 2033, but when expanded it is described as 'Augmented Intelligence'. Experiments to integrate AI into the human brain as brain implants and offered as augmented tools through mixed reality devices have led to an international consensus for AI to be described as 'Augmented Intelligence'.

Universal Income: With much of the blue-collar and significant white-collar jobs being delivered by AI/Robots, some governments have introduced legislation to protect the earning capacity of their citizens through the 'Universal Income' framework, where all of their citizens (unless they opt out) draw upon a legislated income. Revenue for this spend is generated from a mix of taxes, royalties, and trade income. The availability of universal income has led many of their citizens to pursue their real interests and has spawned an era of innovations and inventions.

Post-Note: A year ago, I would have read this article and placed it in the basket of 'Science Fiction'. While not purporting to have absolute certainty of the future, especially as a follower of Quantum Physics/Mechanics, I do consider the current progress with AI and Robotics will lead us to these outcomes in some form or another. In any case, if you and I are around in 2033 let us revisit this article :-)

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