The Big Data revolution will be more important than the PC or the Internet. While there were many interesting conversations last week at Strata, two new publications captured my attention:
- “The evolution of data products” by Mike Loukides describes our final destination as <Disappearing data>. A world where the use of computers is irrelevant, the information will be delivered on a <human time>.
- The inaugural issue of the “Big data” Journal by Mary Ann Liebert Publishers. The perspective and interview articles highlight the phenomena across many developed and emerging markets. A must read.
By combining PCs embedded in our bodies (either temporal tattoos or robotic extensions), ubiquitous computing, big data and a new internet we’ll suddenly will start living on a new augmented universe. The documents bring a new level of clarity around the “big data” buzzword.
In the future… we’ll be able to infinitely analyze any decision, for example:
- At dinner time we’ll be presented multiple recommended options. We’ll be able to evaluate if consuming a particular one can extend our life for a few minutes, if it will result on an increase our medical insurance cost and how a particular option can modify economic and physical long term objectives.
- Before leaving our home for an external event, an automated system will remind us of taking a specific suit to the dry cleaner - based on future activities in our calendar and the time it takes to have to do the dry cleaning. It will evaluate the lowest cost and most impactful moment to get this done. The self-driving car will optimize the route every few milliseconds. The next few days and years will be fine tuned for a just-in-time life.
Our Facebook experience today is unique every single time we visit the site. Imagine a same concept applied to everything around us. If desired, evaluate any decision by their infinite consequences. Play and visualize a “what if” scenario from any previous day in our lives. Every new solution creates new problems, we’ll need to tackle negative aspects as the new reality takes over our present.
With certain limitations, the world will adapt to what we want and to what certain virtual agents favor. We’re not living on the Information era, just on its beginning.