Breakthroughs in quantum computing will enable humans to cure diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s as easily as we treat the common cold.
That was one of the major insights to emerge from the Dubai Future Forum, with renowned theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku telling the world’s largest gathering of futurists that humanity should brace itself for “major transformations” in healthcare.
The forum concluded with a call for governments to institutionalize foresight and engrain it within decision making.
Taking place in Dubai, UAE at the Museum of the Future, Amy Webb, CEO of Future Today Institute, criticized nations for being too pre-occupied with the present and too focused on creating white papers, reports and policy recommendations instead of action.
“Nowism is a virus. Corporations and governments are infected,” she said.
One panel session heard how humans could be ready to test life on the Moon in just 15 years and be ready for life on Mars in another decade. Sharing his predictions for the future, Dr. Kaku also said there is “a very good chance” humans will pick up a signal from another intelligent life form this century.
Dr. Jamie Metzl, Founder and Chair, OneShared.World, urged people to eat more lab-grown meat to combat global warming and food insecurity.
“If we are treating them like a means to an end of our nutrition, wouldn’t it be better instead of growing the animal, to grow the meat?” he said.
Among the 70 speakers participating in sessions were several UAE ministers. HE Mohammad Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees and Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation, said ministers around the world should think of themselves as “designers of the future”. “Our stakeholders are 7.98 billion people around the world,’ he noted.
Dubai’s approach to foresight was lauded by delegates, including HE Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, who said: “What makes our city and nation successful is not natural resources, but a unique ability to embrace all ideas and individuals.”
More than 30 sessions covered topics including immortality, AI sentience, climate change, terraforming, genome sequencing, legislation, and the energy transition.
*Source: AETOSWire