4 Technologies That Make Our Lives More Interesting 

An ancient Chinese proverb states, “May you live in interesting times.” Some believe this to be a blessing, while others believe this is a curse. But regardless of your interpretation, we can all agree that we do indeed live in interesting times. 
The world around us is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Much of this is driven by technology, technology that promises to transform the way we live and improve our quality of life. But does transforming the way we live always improve our quality of life? Let’s take a look at some of the world’s latest and greatest technological innovations:

Drones- Drones aren’t just used as a method of warfare, they also allow us to easily survey crops, inspect buildings and infrastructure, access areas which are unsafe for humans, and deliver goods faster than ever before.

Virtual Reality- VR has finally emerged from the realms of science fiction to wide availability, and with it comes new and exciting options for training humans to deal with complex issues of the real world, including preparing surgeons for the OR, miners for excavation, or pilots for flight.

Smart Homes- Smart homes are another great example – and more broadly the Internet of Things -- of how technology is transforming the way we live. Smart homes provide us the opportunity to monitor and manage our homes or any number of systems from anywhere, anytime.

Autonomous Vehicles- Now we even have autonomous vehicles, which offer the possibility to eliminate most individual’s largest depreciating asset while providing simple, safe, and readily available transportation.

When you take a look at all of the beneficial aspects of these technologies, it’s clear that technology does deliver on its promise. Artificial intelligence shows the potential for entirely new methods of human machine interaction, homes and cars can function autonomously, and robotics foreshadow a future where humans are freed from menial tasks and tedious labor. But despite all the benefits of this technology most people are wary, and for good reason: we’re uncomfortable with the risks of change.

Drones can be used to attack and surveil us. Virtual reality may eliminate the distinction between our virtual and real worlds. Criminals could unlock your connected home. Autonomous cars control our safety as we speed about the world. Will the combination of AI, robotics, data analytics, and networked sensors create a sentient being which decides to enslave or destroy humanity?

History suggests our fears are overblown, but can we really be so sure? Come join me for “Don’t Fear the Robots: A Brief History of Automation” at IE’s OktoberTekfest this Thursday, October 6 at the Charlotte Convention Center, and we’ll examine the past, present, and future of automation, and why you should embrace the rapid technological changes unfolding today.

About the Author:

Sean Rollman is IE's Vice President of Technology Solutions & Services and has been with IE since 2005. He has over 20 years of experience in development and oversight of voice, video, LAN, WAN, wireless, and data center solutions, and is an active member of Cisco’s Partner Technology Advisory Board and the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA).