The “age of acceleration” is transforming every part of society. From AI to machine-learning, automation to virtual reality, technology is completely changing the way we live, work, and socialise.
Europe’s technology scene is at the heart of this exciting change. At Microsoft’s research lab in Cambridge, UK, scientists are creating technology that will transform lives. From fighting cancer through computing, to using Minecraft to research advanced artificial intelligence in Project Malmo, the work they’re doing now is set to shape society over the next ten years.
We asked 17 researchers, including four from Microsoft’s research lab in Cambridge, for their views on what’s likely to occur in their fields in 2017 and in 2027.
Scientist Katja Hofmann believes that the worlds of gaming and Artificial Intelligence will combine to spark brand new ideas. “Experimentation platforms based on games, such as Project Malmo, will allow for rapid testing of new ideas,” she predicts. “We are now at the point where we can start to understand how AI can learn from us and collaborate with us to help us achieve our goals.”
Researcher Cecily Morrison predicts that technology will help to transform the lives of children with disabilities – and they will transform the industry in turn. “All children, including those with disabilities, will have appropriate tools to learn how to code,” she argues. “Add 20 years and those children with disabilities will bring their unique experience of the world to change the landscape of technology.”
You can read more of Katja and Cecily’s predictions, as well as those from their colleagues around the world, here.
