5 technologies that will change the world in the next 5 years

Quantum computing

Today, quantum computing is more of a playground for researchers, but within five years it will become a familiar reality for professionals working on problems that previously seemed insurmountable. Quantum computing will become ubiquitous in universities and even (to some extent) at the high school level.

Already today, IBM researchers have successfully modeled the atomic bond in beryllium hydride (BeH₂), the most complex molecule ever simulated by a quantum computer. In the future, quantum computing will enable us to solve much more complex problems, and ultimately it will surpass anything we can do with classical machines.

Cryptography and blockchain

Most recently, IBM introduced a microchip the size of a granule of salt and costing about 10 cents. In terms of processing power, it is comparable to computers of the 1990s. It supports blockchain technology and can serve as a data source for related applications.

In the near future, such tiny chips could be used as "cryptographic anchors" to track shipments of goods, control food safety, identify genuine luxury goods, and so on. Buyers themselves will be able to track the entire path of goods from production to the moment of sale.

Lattice cryptography

To keep pace with the times and new technologies, IBM is developing encryption methods that can surpass all existing protocols. A lot of hopes are pinned on the post-quantum encryption method, the so-called lattice cryptography, that is, on complex algebraic structures.

Breaking such encryption is almost impossible, even future quantum computers will not be able to do it, IBM representatives assure. That is why this technology can be used to protect the most valuable data from hacker attacks.

AI robotic microscopes

In the next five years, with the help of artificial intelligence and robotization, one of the most important problems of mankind - the pollution of the oceans - can be taken under control. An entire network of stand-alone microscopes is planned to signal adverse effects.

We are talking about micro robots united in the cloud and located all over the world, capable of monitoring the behavior of plankton. It is plankton that is a biological sensor that characterizes the content of harmful substances in the seas and oceans. Data on the movement of plankton will allow much faster determination of changes in water composition.

Unbiased artificial intelligence

To prevent AI bias from becoming a real problem, IBM is already working on systems that can be trusted. First of all, it is AI, trained on data free from racial, gender and ideological biases.

To this end, the company's researchers have developed a bias reduction method that can be applied to an AI training kit. This approach will create an objective system that will not contribute to the spread of inequality, IBM researchers are sure.