Since the 80s, like clockwork, there’s a new big trend in IT every decade.

Consider:

• 1980s: the personal computer
• 1990s: the web
• 2000s: mobile computing
• 2010s: cloud computing
• 2020s: AI

Of course, we could go backwards to earlier periods, though the late 40s through the late 70s was largely a static world of large mainframe systems.  And we could critique my list above by noting that mobile computing is really just another form of personal computing.

Nevertheless, if you statistically analyzed the headlines from each decade, these are the terms that would dominate the tech press.

So what will be the big buzzword for the 2030s?

Looking Forward

History is filled with people who’ve looked foolish predicting new tech trends, so answering that question is an enterprise fraught with peril.  And we’re not out of the 2020s yet.  But here’s some bets.

Robotics: Every year there’s progress in this field, though to date the main expressions are in factories and home vacuum cleaners, not android daemons that massage our feet and tend our gardens.  But eventually that day will come…right?  It’s not going to be Optimus or any of the makers of the fake staged demos we see on YouTube periodically.  The robots of today are overwhelmingly purpose built, fixed-installation systems – warehouse sorters or auto welders.  What’s hoped for is a general purpose, humanoid robot that can learn new tasks.  We’re a long ways away from that, but in 10 years…?

Spatial Computing: You know, the Metaverse <snicker>.  That isn’t what the future of spatial looks like, and today’s glasses and hardware aren’t up to the task.  It’s not even clear the human brain can handle this type of experience for an extended period of time.  With continued miniaturization, is it possible that the human-touch part of these devices could eventually be something more like a contact lens than a Jordi LaForge helmet.

Cybernetic Interfaces: Speaking of brains, are we on the threshold of Cyberpunk-like “jacking in” where we plug a cable into the back of our head?  That may be more 2050s…

Agents: This is the current buzzword.  You’ll also hear “autonomous enterprises” where a single founder and an army of agents runs a billion-dollar business.  Will this bright shining future come about?  There are still significant hurdles, from the non-reproducibility of AI work to the token economics.  Will we still be talking about agents in 10 years?

What are your predications?  Your crystal ball is as good as mine.  Let us know in the comments below.

raindog308

raindog308 is a longtime community LETizen, technical writer, and self-described techno polymath. With deep roots in the *nix world, he has a passion for systems both modern and vintage, ranging from Unix, Perl, Python, and Golang to shell scripting and mainframe-era operating systems like MVS. He’s equally comfortable with relational database systems, having spent years working with Oracle, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.

As an avid user of LowEndBox providers, raindog308 runs an empire of LEBs, from tiny boxes for VPNs, to mid-sized instances for application hosting, and heavyweight servers for data storage and complex databases. He brings both technical rigor and real-world experience to every piece he writes.

Beyond the command line, raindog308 has a life-long love of German Shepherd Dogs, high-quality knives, target shooting, theology, tabletop RPGs, playing guitar, and hiking in deep, quiet forests.

His goal with every article is to help users, from beginners to seasoned sysadmins, get more value, performance, and enjoyment out of their infrastructure.

You can find him daily in the forums at LowEndTalk under the handle @raindog308.