The operating system of your computer, the layer of software between you and the device, has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Initially, the user had to interact with levers and switches, then came screens and DOS, Macintosh from Apple and Windows from Microsoft, and then the Internet. They all slowly crept into our lives and changed the way we do almost everything. But the "axis" of the future will be radically different. The next step will be artificial intelligence and the race has already begun. Because there is why. Just think about how lucrative control of the previous era was for Microsoft.
In the 70s, many of us grinded down on the command line on systems like MS-DOS, CP / M, and Unix. This legendary black screen with green font will enter the era. You could enter any more or less meaningful command like "cp" and copy the file. It was not very easy, but easier than with physical switches.
In the 1980s, computing shifted to graphical interfaces like Mac OS and Windows, where you just had to point and click. Want to delete a file? Just drag it to the trash can. What could be easier? And now computing is no longer for geeks. Almost anyone can do it.
In the 90s, computing became more connected. The Internet and the browser have become kings. Google even made a separate operating system out of this link, Chrome OS.
More recently, computing has become mobile and turned into applications on our smartphones. Some of these applications and services have begun to fork, creating their own little worlds of developers and users. An example of this would be the Chinese app WeChat, which has thousands of use cases, from social media to buying plane tickets.
You don't even think about it, but the next OS revolution is on the way. And tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, and Google are fighting to win this revolution.
New race
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Late last year, Google announced a series of hardware products. There was a Google Home speaker, a Pixel smartphone and a Daydream View VR device. But Google won't be making billions on hardware like this. Software is a far more attractive business. It's easier to scale.
No, Google is developing this hardware simply as a vehicle to bring its AI-powered Google Assistant into our homes and pockets. Virtual assistants are baked into all of these products. Google wants to be at the center of our lives.
Sociable assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa are the operating systems of the future. No printing. No poking around. The power of artificial intelligence will be used to meet our needs.
Take me on the next flight to Canberra, Google
"Who is the President of Switzerland, Siri?"
Play my favorite song, Alexa.
In many cases, there will be no keyboard nearby. It will be enough to enter a new room and say "turn on the light", as if someone was waiting. And someone will be waiting. We will get into cars and say "turn on the ignition" or "start the engine." Enter the elevator and command: "To the first floor, please." In the bath - "pour boiling water".
The screens will start to disappear. Communication will appear instead. Communication and conversations will escort us from room to room, to the car, to the office, to bed.
The consequences will be enormous. Losing screens will mean reimagining digital signage. The growth of communication will affect search and online networking. Whoever wins this race, their new operating system will show us the way.
Winners and losers
This is an exciting future. There are many possibilities for implementation. You can make a watch that will be your personal assistant. Sunglasses that tell you it's time to get out of the sun. Libra advising what to eat.
The winners are likely to be companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook or Amazon, as they will be the first to enter this market, and the network effect means that their products will improve rapidly.
ILYA KHEL