HP Innovation Journal Issue 10: Fall 2018 | Page 59

future. By looking at macro trends and
advanced technology frontiers, we find an
expanding universe of ways our human
capabilities will continue to evolve.
CYBER-ENHANCING OUR MINDS
The next thing you may reboot is not your
computer but your own brain. Billions of dollars
are being spent on neurosciences, brain-
machine interfaces and artificial intelligence
(AI), all with the intent of making us smarter,
more efficient and more productive.
» Facebook is working on
technology that will enable
your brain to type five times
faster than you can on your
phone today.
» Elon Musk is banking on
brain-computer interface
technologies of the future
to augment our cognitive
abilities.
» Kernel, comprised of
a team of neuroscientists
and engineers, is looking to
develop a brain prosthetic
Megatrends Center of the Future
to help people with failing
memories.
These new technologies will augment our
minds, improving the way we think and
work as we age. AI is already automating
our repetitive and mundane tasks, such
as scheduling, project planning and
information searches—helping to augment
or stand in for degrading cognitive skills.
In the near future, augmented reality and
neural and voice interfaces are likely to
mature to a point at which they will enable
us to merge seamlessly with computers,
allowing us to work faster and smarter.
CYBER-ENHANCING OUR BODIES
New classes of implants,
prosthetics and remote
robotics appear every day.
These tools are rapidly
becoming equal to our
natural-born bodies.
We are already seeing significant advance-
ments in bioengineered limbs, merging cyber
technology and the human body. An interdis-
ciplinary research team from Florida Atlantic
University and the University of Utah recent-
ly received funding for a four-year project to
develop a first-of-its-kind bioengineered hand.
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