Five technologies that could radically change the world in the next 25 years

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Journalists from The Wall Street Journal, based on forecasts from leading technology specialists, selected five of the most probable innovations.

Controlling technology with the power of thought

In the future, keyboards and mice may become rudimentary. They will gradually be replaced by "brain-computer" interfaces that will allow devices to be controlled directly by thought.

The essence of such technology lies in reading brain signals and converting them into commands understandable to a computer. This opens up the possibility of controlling almost everything — from correspondence and working with digital services to household appliances — simply by thinking about the desired action.

Today, such interfaces already exist, but often require invasive procedures, such as skull implantation. Non-invasive options also exist, but they remain bulky and not very convenient for everyday use.

In 25 years, researchers expect to solve two key problems: making devices compact and convenient – comparable to modern wireless headphones – and teaching systems to accurately interpret human thoughts. Artificial intelligence, which will help decipher increasingly complex neural signals, will play a special role in this. As a result, such interfaces could become as widespread as smartphones are today.

Mining for minerals in space

Experts predict that in a quarter of a century, advances in artificial intelligence and robotics will allow access to resources on the Moon, asteroids, and, in the future, on other planets.

Autonomous systems will be able to not only extract valuable materials but also use them to build infrastructure directly in space. This will significantly reduce the cost of space missions, as there will be no need to transport large volumes of materials from Earth. As a result, a new stage in space exploration could open up, including the development of commercial flights, long-term missions, and even space tourism.

Moreover, as previous experience shows, technologies developed for space tasks often find unexpected applications on Earth – in medicine, materials science, and other fields.

Humanoid robots in our homes

No less significant changes may occur in everyday life. Today's humanoid robots still appear imperfect and expensive, but technological development is gradually bringing closer the moment when they become common household assistants.

Modern advances in artificial intelligence, as well as inexpensive and accurate sensors developed for drones and cars, have already laid the foundation for this transition. In 25 years, such robots will be able to help elderly people stay at home instead of moving to nursing homes, support people with disabilities, and those who need personalized care.

Although robots can take any form, humanoids have clear advantages for the home environment: we live in a space created for humans – from stairs to doorknobs and furniture. Therefore, a robot that replicates human anatomy is better adapted to such conditions.

In addition to practical assistance, such systems can also perform a social function – acting as companions, providing emotional support. In the future, they could become a means of "telepresence": a person could control a robot remotely, interacting with loved ones as if they were nearby. Such a robot could even take on the appearance of a specific person and imitate their voice.

Personal weather control

Against the backdrop of deteriorating climate conditions, the possibility of weather control is increasingly being discussed. Even with reduced carbon emissions, the damage already done could lead to a more unstable and unpredictable climate.

In such a situation, microclimate control technologies could become commercially viable. Today, relatively simple methods of influencing the weather already exist, but in the future, they could become much more precise and large-scale.

Companies will have the opportunity to regulate temperature, precipitation, and other parameters within local areas – for example, in vineyards to optimize harvests or at resorts to avoid rain on the beach or, conversely, to ensure snow on ski slopes.

In the future, it may even be possible to influence the development of storms – to change their trajectory or reduce their intensity. However, as experts note, the consequences of such interventions remain unpredictable: it is still unknown how changes in one region will affect neighboring territories and the global climate system.

Abundant energy from thermonuclear fusion

Finally, one of the key technologies of the future could be thermonuclear energy. It is based on the same principle as processes in the Sun: the fusion of atoms releases an enormous amount of energy.

For a long time, this direction remained more of a scientific goal than a real technology. However, recent achievements have changed the situation: scientists have already managed to obtain more energy than was expended to initiate the reaction, which is considered a fundamental breakthrough.

Now the main task is to make this process stable and scalable. Experts predict that thanks to the influx of public and private capital, researchers will be able to overcome technical difficulties and make thermonuclear fusion commercially viable by 2050.

Unlike nuclear fission, such fusion does not create long-lived radioactive waste. Unlike fossil fuels, it does not require burning limited resources and does not lead to carbon dioxide emissions. As a result, this could radically change the world's energy system, opening up new opportunities for combating climate change and developing energy-intensive technologies.

All these scenarios currently remain predictions, but they clearly show the direction in which modern science and engineering are moving. If even a part of them becomes reality, the next 25 years could prove even more pivotal and filled with technological changes than the previous ones.

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