Megatrend isn’t related to the iconic Decepticon named Megatron, nor is it friends with Optimus Prime. Instead, megatrends refer to trends that’ll have impacts on a global scale. So, when some Aussie scientists at the CSIRO have predicted seven megatrends that’ll impact this country to its core, it’s probably important to know what these trends are.
So, without any further wordplay dilly-dallying, here are the seven megatrends that the CSIRO is betting on happening:
How Climate Change Is Affecting People
Natural disasters are predicted to cost Australia $39.3 billion each year by 2050. This is because the climate crisis will continue to create bushfires like the ones we’ve experienced in 2019 through to 2020 and the floods that we’ve battled this year. As the CSIRO outlined, “There is a critical role for science and technology in developing solutions to enhance disaster preparedness and manage climate change impacts.”
The Earth’s Population Creates Challenges
There are more people on this planet than ever, and this will continue to be the case going forward. This will put notable extra pressure on the earth’s finite amount of food, water, minerals, and energy resources. But at the same time, these pressures can lead to innovations. These innovations include the likes of plant-based meats, advanced recycling technologies, and electric vehicles.
Healthcare Costs Will Continue to Rise
Thanks to the heinous work of COVID and an ageing population, the cost of the Aussie healthcare system will keep on going up. Moreover, fewer young folks are using private health care because it’s ridiculously expensive. This could lead to there being the public health care system becoming even more strained than it currently is. The CSIRO argued that putting more preventive health programs in place, to combat some of these issues, could be a smart move.
Related: Will Labor Change Climate Change? What an Experts Thinks
Related: CSIRO Finds COVID-19 Virus Can Survive on Phones and ATMs for Nearly a Month
How Australia’s Culture Is Changing
The CSIRO has argued that “Consumers are demanding increased transparency from organisations, governments and scientists to maintain their trust, and there are concerns around the spread of misinformation.” They stated that these institutions have to work hard for the Australian population to believe in their plans.
But while us Aussies have a tension-filled relationship with these larger systems, the CSIRO detailed that we have a noteworthy amount of social cohesion amongst ourselves. This is because the COVID pandemic brought us together. Let’s just hope that this social cohesion can last.
Geopolitics Aren’t Crash Hot ATM
Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine. There’s tension between Western powers and China in the Asia-Pacific region. You know, things could be better. This will potentially lead to Western democracies collaborating more often, which can be demonstrated in the fact that NATO’s membership might bump up from 30 to 32 countries.
Al Technology Is the Future
AI tech is as impressive as it is kinda terrifying, with this industry having no intention of slowing down. That being stated, the CSIRO is somewhat hopeful that these tools can be used for good, instead of being relegated to making unethical deepfakes of our politicians. The CSIRO is optimistic that the next frontier of AI technology might be able to make scientific discoveries that are on par with the world’s most prestigious human scientists.
Digital Technologies Continue to Go Brrr
Due to the mass adoption of services like Telehealth and working from home, tech is more integrated into our daily lives than ever. Nevertheless, the CSIRO’s report stated, “While this progress has been significant, experts predict that this is just the tip of the iceberg, with the vast majority of digitisation yet to occur.” A significant amount of folks around the globe are using high-performance computers, AI machine learning, and robots, and this number is expected to rise.
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