What will the world look like in 2045?
- The world population could reach 10.4 billion, compared with about 7.2 billion at present.
- More than 70% of the population is likely to live in urban areas.
- 3.9 billion people are likely to suffer water shortages.
- Driverless transport is likely to be widespread.
- Unmanned systems are increasingly likely to replace people in the workplace, leading to mass unemployment and social unrest.
- Robots are likely to change the face of warfare, but “military decision-making is likely to remain the remit of humans for ethical reasons, at least in western countries”.
- Individuals may define themselves less by their nationality, with growing migration and stronger links to virtual communities.
- Chinese defence expenditure it likely to rival that of the US, but Russia’s will not match that of China, the US or India.
These are some of the conclusions of the Concepts and Doctrine Centre, a think tank which is part of the UK’s Ministry of Defence.
More information here.