Ten years before this week’s exploration of machine learning and artificial intelligence, Building offered readers a “cornucopia” of 99 things to look out for in 1999
Tomorrow’s world
So that was how the future used to look. Ten years before this week’s exploration of machine learning and artificial intelligence, Building offered readers a “cornucopia” of 99 things to look out for in 1999 and a guide to what big projects and developments they should keep an eye on.
As part of the horizon-gazing list, there was a rundown of nine new technologies that readers should look out for. These ranged from the frankly mundane (“Greywater recycling”) to the bizarre (“Slushy ice as a coolant in building services systems”) to one perhaps inspired by sci-fi movies (“Building services controlled by microchips embedded in your body”).
The article also vouchsafed a dizzying vision of a digital future, promising: “Digital versatile disks and digital dictation machines will follow digital cameras and digital television on to the market.”
And in Mystic Meg mode, the article went on to speculate: “The Internet is finally coming into its own as a trading zone. On-line product ordering could take off this year.”
That’s just crazy talk.
No comments yet