Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is undoubtedly brilliant. Since creating Facebook from his Harvard University dorm in 2004, Zuckerberg has amassed a social media empire:
- 1.5 billion Facebook users
- Over $40 billion in assets
- Annual revenue of around $13 billion
- A virtual takeover of anything and everything related to social media.
Yet even with enormous success, Zuckerberg isn’t nearly done. Since making Facebook a Silicone Valley and worldwide-renowned success, “Zuck” has purchased the Virtual Reality (VR) Company Oculus for $3 billion. Zuckerberg has also invested heavily in his passion – education companies – putting $150 million of his own money into four different organizations.
Zuck then tugged people’s heartstrings, pledging to donate nearly all of his wealth (99% of it) into the newly-created Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, a charity investment initiative founded with his wife, Doctor Priscilla Chan. According to the organization’s Facebook page, the purpose of the Initiative is to: “Advance human potential and promote equality in areas such as health, education, scientific research, and energy.”
So, clearly, Zuck is a forward-thinking guy. This vision, combined with his technological and business expertise, has made it that if Mark Zuckerberg speaks, people listen. He’s a relatively introverted figure, but he does talk passionately about topics that are important to him.
Here are five predictions about the future from Mark Zuckerberg:
1. Virtual Reality (VR)
This is most certainly not a surprise, given Facebook and Zuck’s huge investment into Oculus VR. Zuck believes that VR headsets will further advance video games, film, and other technologies by immersing the individual into the action.
One of the fascinating tech developments that Zuck foresees is sharing experiences with loved ones via VR headsets. In other words, VR technology will become so advanced that people will communicate and share moments while feeling physically present.
Zuckerberg also foresees the widespread use of augmented reality glasses. According to Zuck, “We’ll be able to capture whole 3-D scenes and create new environments and then share those with people… (People) will be wearing augmented-reality glasses to assist them on an everyday basis.”
2. “Superhuman” abilities
In one of his wilder predictions, Zuckerberg believes that human beings will one day exceed their natural mental and physical capabilities. He believes that there are undiscovered ways that human beings can enhance their intelligence and fortify their health. It is through these methods, Zuck believes, that we will eventually rid the world of diseases.
If this sounds too Spiderman-like, it, in fact, isn’t. Many scientists believe that technologies can be developed to increase human life spans and eradicate many of our diseases today. Increasing intelligence and physical abilities through technology may be far off, though.
3. Worldwide Internet Access
One of Zuckerberg’s biggest passions is to give internet access to everyone in the world eventually. This led Zuck to create Facebook’s first non-profit organization, internet.org.
According to the site, “The internet is essential to growing the knowledge we have and sharing it. And for many of us, it’s a huge part of our everyday lives. But most of the world does not have access to the internet. Internet.org is a Facebook-led initiative to bring internet access and the benefits of connectivity to the two-thirds of the world that doesn’t have them.
Zuckerberg’s team is exploring various technologies to make this vision a reality, including high-altitude planes, satellites, drones, and lasers. Early in its operations, the subsidiary has already brought internet access to over 15 million people worldwide.
4. Telepathic Communications
Out of every prediction, this one may be the most far-fetched. Zuckerberg believes that one day far into the future, we’ll be able to communicate with each other with our minds. This would be a point where we’re well beyond smartphones and Facetime, in other words.
Zuck says: “One day, I believe we’ll be able to send full, rich thoughts to each other directly using technology…You’ll be able to think of something, and your friends will immediately be able to experience it too if you’d like. This would be the ultimate communication technology.”
Unsurprisingly, brilliant scientists have already superseded this prediction by working on a similar technology that translates body and facial movement into spoken language. Oh, and this work began over ten years ago!
5. Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Some of this AI technology currently exists, which is exciting for Zuckerberg. Now, he’s looking to expand it. According to Zuck, he’s making it a priority where advanced AI systems can interpret information as well as, or even better than human beings can.
One great example of this advanced AI is personal computers having the ability to “describe images.” Here’s how Zuckerberg puts it: “If we could build computers that could understand what’s in an image and could tell a blind person who otherwise couldn’t see that image, that would be pretty amazing.” Indeed.
Mark Zuckerberg says that he’s hoping to deliver many of these advanced technologies within the next ten years.
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