It’s really hard to make predictions, but one thing I am certain about is that the pervasiveness of endless entertainment and distractions, in combination with the ease of outsourcing any mental effort to LLMs, will have significant effects on people’s cognitive performance. Especially for young people who have the misfortune of never knowing a world without these things.

Another thing is climate change. At least for those of us living in the west, climate change is still limited to concerning news you read, a bit more heat in the summer, and a few more natural disasters than usual. There are effects, but we’re not really affected yet. In 10 years, our lives will be significantly affected by the increasing heat and even more natural disasters. In other parts of the world, these things are already happening and they will be significantly worse in 10 years.