Nostradamus of the 21st century, Bill Gates, has repeatedly proved correct in his predictions about global trends, social change and technological advances. What does he think will happen in the next 20 years? In his past predictions, Bill Gates turned out to be practically a prophet: his 1999 list was incredibly accurate. He foresaw the emergence of price comparison sites, smartphones, social media and bots. Over the past few years, in interviews and annual messages, he continues to predict the future. Here are seven of his newest predictions.
In the next 15 years, 33 million people will die out due to the pathogen in less than a year
At the Munich Security conference, Gates warned that "epidemiologists are talking about a rapidly moving pathogen that can kill more than 30 million people in less than a year." This could be due to a mutation, accident, or terrorist intent. Although it seems strange now, similar events have happened in the past: the most obvious example is the Black Death, which destroyed a third of Europe. As recently as 1918, the Spanish flu killed between 50 and 100 million people.
Africa will become completely self-sufficient in food production
Gates believes Africa will achieve this goal due to a number of structural changes:
First, the best fertilizers and crops grown will lead to an upward spiral of better nutrition, resulting in increased productivity.
Promotional video:
Second, infrastructure development already underway, such as the widening of highways in Ghana and the removal of checkpoints in Senegal, will reduce delays in the supply of food and other goods.
Third, as phones become more available, information such as weather forecasts and market prices will be disseminated.
The lives of the poor will change mobile banking
Electronic banking will enable poor people to store and save money digitally. In his 2015 annual message, Gates said that "by 2030, the 2 billion people who do not have a permanent bank account will keep money and make payments using their phones."
Poor countries will cease to exist in 2035
Gates talks about how much the world has changed over the course of his life - moving from a world divided into the Soviet Union, Western allies and "everyone else" to the world we see today - calling it a precedent for the possibility of change. In his 2014 message, he wrote that “contributing is a fantastic investment and we need more help. It saves and improves lives in an effective way, laying the groundwork for long-term economic progress.”
An energy breakthrough will happen by 2030 that will turn our world around
More recently, in 2016, Gates did not cite any of the existing renewable energy methods as a panacea, but believes that the key lies in investing in young people. He has already invested $ 2 billion in alternative technologies.
Lots of jobs will give way to automatic machines
In an interview with Quartz, Bill Gates, like many industry leaders, envisioned a world in which humans are no longer robots. Gates, however, provided a possible course of action: tax robots to fund more jobs that only humans can work, such as caring for the elderly or working with children.
Polio will be eradicated worldwide by 2018
In his 2013 annual letter, Gates showed statistics showing that polio prevalence has declined from millions in hundreds of countries to activity in just three countries around the world. The key, he says, is in the dimensions. “You need to accurately measure and also create an environment in which issues can be discussed openly so that you can effectively assess what works and what doesn't.”
ILYA KHEL