These are the fifteen key forecasts that Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, made at the beginning of the century and which have all since materialized.
Most people will naturally roll their eyes when they hear stories about someone claiming to be able to predict the future.
Claiming to be the “new Nostradamus” or “next Baba Vanga,” these individuals have made numerous of claims that are general enough to be applied to a variety of circumstances, and when one of them turns out to be accurate, they have said, “See, I told you so.”
You know, eventually something will stick if you hurl enough crap at the wall, and so on.
Tech tycoon Bill Gates is one person who has managed to defy this tendency and join The Simpsons creators in accurately predicting the future. In his 1999 book Business at the Speed of Thought, Gates made some audacious predictions regarding technology improvements.
Even though the 68-year-old co-founded Microsoft, giving him an advantage over most of us, it’s still very remarkable that so many of his forecasts came to pass.
After his most recent Netflix documentary, What’s Next? Let’s review 15 of Bill Gates’ forecasts from The Future that have been ingrained in our daily lives:
websites that compare prices
It is now quite simple to find the greatest deal on anything from a credit card to new sneakers or travel insurance thanks to price comparison websites like Compare the Market, Moneysupermarket, and Google Products. What Gates said about it was as follows:
“We’ll be developing automated price comparison services that let users view prices from various websites, making it simple to find the best deal across all industries.”
Cell phones
Though most people with mobile phones were carrying around Nokia, Siemens, or Phillips devices back in 1999, it’s the first thing we grab in the morning and where most of our lives are kept.
They may have made for a great game of Snake, but they don’t compare to the products available now.
When he discussed his ideas on the subject in his book, Gates undoubtedly recognized the potential in mobile devices.
The father of three stated: “People will always have little devices with them so they can do electronic commerce and keep in continual communication no matter where they are.
“On these devices, they will be able to do just about anything, including checking the news, viewing the flights they have scheduled, and getting information from financial markets.”
Internet banking
Those days are long gone, yet there was a time when large financial transactions were handled only through your local bank.
Just as Gates predicted, we can now use the internet to check our bank balance, give money to pals, and make purchases while we’re on the go.
He also made the reasonable prediction that some parts of the medical industry would change with the times and go online, given that companies now provide date-driven healthcare, online consultations, and digital prescriptions.
“People will pay their bills, take care of their finances, and communicate with their doctors over the internet,” said the co-founder of Microsoft.
Digital assistants
Gates predicted that by now we would all have an automated little helper, even though he didn’t quite state that we would all be yelling “Alexa” at the top of our lungs and asking a small round device to tell us a hilarious joke.
According to the tech billionaire, “personal companions” would connect and sync all of your devices—whether at home or at work—smartly and enable data sharing, making everyone’s lives easier in the years to come.
“The gadget will display the necessary information after checking your emails or notifications. You may tell it what recipes you want to make when you go to the shop, and it will come up with a list of things you need to buy.
“It will communicate your schedule and purchases to every device you use, enabling them to adapt to your actions automatically.”
Systems for home surveillance
It turns out that Gates anticipated the arrival of technologies like Google Nest and Ring doorbells, perceiving them as an improved form of security camera.
He wrote, “You will increasingly receive constant video feeds of your home that notify you when someone pays you a visit while you are away.”
Even if he didn’t foresee that we would be able to keep an eye on our front doors from the convenience of a smartphone app, his prediction was still rather accurate.
Social networks
In 1999, you would typically have to travel to see your pals in person or make a phone call. Nevertheless, this did not stop Gates from envisioning a hyperconnected society in which everyone lives.
He stated, “You’ll see friends and family have private websites where you can talk and schedule events.”
Although social media isn’t quite a “private website,” we can stay in continual communication with both large and small groups thanks to apps like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok as well as messaging services like Telegram and WhatsApp.
Advertisements produced automatically
He wrote: “Software that knows when you’ve booked a trip and uses that information to suggest activities at the local destination,” foreshadowing the growth in automatically created advertisements. It makes recommendations for events, deals, discounts, and more affordable costs for whatever you like to do.
Clever advertisements
These days, ads are present everywhere. You might be telling a friend that you’d like a new pair of shoes, and the next minute, Google will start displaying pictures of sneakers. Gates also foresaw this.
According to Gates, “smart advertising will be on devices.” “They will display advertisements that are tailored toward your preferences because they will be aware of your purchasing trends.”
Discussion boards for sports
“While watching a sports competition on television, services will allow you to discuss what is happening live and enter a contest where you vote on who you think will win,” said Bill Gates in 1999.
Sports fans may discuss contentious occurrences during games and stay up to date on scores thanks to social media.
URLs to webpages while watching live TV
Undoubtedly, Gates anticipated that advertisements would take over our lives and that in the future, they would have links that would take viewers to the company’s website, allow them to scan a QR code, or allow them to follow them on social media.
“Television broadcast will include links to relevant websites and content that complement what you are watching,” the author stated in his book.
Online message boards
“People living in cities and nations will have the ability to participate in online discussions about issues that impact them, like regional politics, urban planning, or security,” the author stated.
Similar to the emergence of social media, Gates anticipated that the internet would enable us to communicate virtually with one another and talk about the things that are most important to us with our friends and neighbors.
Internet forums
In addition, Gates imagined a time when human connection would no longer be limited by geography and would enable people to connect with like-minded individuals anywhere in the world.
“Your interests will shape online communities more than your location,” he stated.
Who knew that Bill Gates had foreseen Reddit’s ascent?
Software for project management
It turns out that Bill Gates had a plan for the digitization of the office 25 years ago. The development of programs like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Workspace has undoubtedly made life easier in the modern workplace.
“Project managers looking to put together a team will be able to go online, describe the project, and receive recommendations for available people who would fit their requirements,” he said, outlining his vision for project management software.
Internet hiring
Linkedin has changed the game when it comes to obtaining a new job, being informed about the professional activities of both present and previous coworkers, and having a ready-made CV accessible to recruiters. When it comes to professional networking, Gates was undoubtedly aware of the market gap and made the forecast in his book.
He added, “In a similar vein, job seekers will be able to identify openings online by expressing their needs, interests, and specialized skills.”
Community software for businesses
In his book, Gates predicted the following regarding business community software: “Businesses will be able to bid on jobs, whether they are looking for an advertising campaign, a movie production, or a construction project.”
“Big companies looking to outsource work they don’t usually face, businesses seeking new clients, and corporations without a go-to provider for the said service will find this to be efficient.”
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