Fourth Industrial Revolution

What will 2050 look like?

A man walks through the 9/11 Empty Sky memorial at sunrise across from New York's Lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, September 11, 2013. Americans will commemorate the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with solemn ceremonies and pledges to not forget the nearly 3,000 killed when hijacked jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn (UNITED STATES - Tags: CITYSCAPE DISASTER ANNIVERSARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX13HEO

Predictions were collected from futurists, experts, and everyday people. Image: REUTERS/Gary Hershorn

Neil C. Bhasvar
Editor, Futurity

THE WORLD IN 30 YEARS

While companies like Microsoft and IBM have presented their own visions for the near future, Kaspersky labs, an anti-virus software company, has presented its predictions for the year 2050 in order to mark the company’s 20th anniversary. The predictions were collected from futurists, experts, and everyday people and are displayed on an interactive map of the world.

Image: Kaspersky Lab Earth 2050

The interactive 3D globe has several interactive points in different colors. The gold points are fully interactive, allowing users to explore cities like New York, Chicago, Barcelona, Shanghai, and Dhaka in full 360-degree views that accommodate virtual reality. The white points provide predictions without visuals. Users can access the site for predictions ranging from 2030 all the way to 2050.

FUTURE FORTUNES

Image: Kaspersky Lab Earth 2050

Dhaka, Bangladesh seems to have gotten the short end of the stick. According to the Kaspersky predictions, in the year 2050, sea levels will have risen by almost a few dozen centimeters, flooding coastal regions to abandonment. While prospects of global solutions are promising, they may come too little, too late for some parts of the globe. While richer and more experienced countries like Denmark and the Netherlands may equip their coastal regions with the protection they need, countries like Bangladesh may not be capable.

Image: Kaspersky Lab Earth 2050

New York City in the year 2050 just might be the futuristic paradise that we’ve all been waiting for, packed with enhanced humans, augmented reality, green skyscrapers, private energy, and so much more. Communication and accessibility will be at an all-time high, with fast food, entertainment, and news ready for our consumption at our will.

Image: Kaspersky Lab Earth 2050

When it comes to Shanghai, experts predict that there will be multifunctional skyscrapers looming over the horizon. The buildings will have floors dedicated to manufacturing, offices, shops, entertainment centers, educational centers, and residential areas, allowing people to live full lives without ever needing to leave the building.

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