I was car shopping this weekend and was blown away by the tech features that are available in even moderately priced cars. Adaptive cruise with lane assist, blind spot monitoring, backup cameras, navigation and even reverse automatic breaking. Even base models had quiet smooth rides.
When I bought my last new car 10 years ago, this was only the stuff of luxury brands. So that got me to thinking, what luxury commodities will become affordable in the next 10 years?
Their heads, if we play our cards right.
Houses right on the sea shores or partially submerged by sea water.
Potentially, nothing. There has been a concerning trend with some car manufacturers. The first buyer of the car buys optional extras, and then when the vehicle is resold those features are disabled again.
Other companies are introducing subscriptions for certain services. The car has the features built in from the start, but you have to pay/sign up for a subscription to unlock them.
It would be a shame if someone unlocked them without the manufacturer’s approval.
Likely it’ll happen. But it would also probably void warranties and such
Used cars rarely have warranties anyways, so there’s no reason not to root the car.
Probably depends on where you are, I think it wouldn’t fly in EU unless they can prove that you made your car less secure by that.
companies are introducing subscriptions for certain services
I wish buyers wouldn’t accept such things.
It’s my understanding a lot of new things you see on cars were mandated by law for safety, or will be soon. Backup cameras were brought into law in 2008, but not required until 2018.
AI advancements will hopefully unlock a lot of services that only the rich can currently afford
Most lower income people may skip getting ad hoc legal counsel, personal fitness trainers/nutritionists, party planners, financial advisors, etc.
But if AI allows for even halfway decent substitutes, these services could become affordable for everyone.
Ever see the movie Elysium?
I think we could definitely be moving towards that kind of world, maybe without the literal rich person spaceship, but with AI defended compounds and AI controlling the population so their position in power could never be threatened again.
That might also happen. But at least we will all have AI lawyers to help get us out of parking tickets
Until someone figures out a “Grandma Exploit” and uses it to send that rich person’s vehicle hurtling off a cliff side.
The absolute last things you should be getting from an AI is legal counsel and medical advice. Financial advice is the 2nd last.
Basically anything where mistakes are costly.
The currently hyped AI models have too much unreliable data in them to provide actionable advice in those areas. Maybe AIs specialized in those fields that are trained on curated data will be useful, but they would have to act more like search engines than AI. There is no chance the AI can comprehend our convoluted legal system, when even experienced professionals struggle with it.
No one is saying the current AI should be used to do that.
Not necessarily wealthy but developed countries have access to really amazing prosthetic limbs. In third world countries obviously injuries that cause people to lose limbs are as common or maybe even more, but it’s very rare to see people with prosthetics and pretty much impossible to have one of those modern with all the new features. In these countries losing a leg or an arm it really means so many things are over.
This applies to basically all of the newest health breakthroughs but I just happen to notice the prosthetic thing a lot.
I hope in a few years this will become more accessible to more people everywhere, this would really change so many lives.
Nothing. Trickle down has always been a lie so the wealthy could steal vast amounts of assets from the middle class and the poor.
Trickledown wealth, yes, but the spirit of OPs question is “stuff”. “Stuff” does generally get cheaper over time.
I bought a 55” Plasma TV in 2008 for $2100. Last year I bout a 65” OLED for $1600. Much better picture, much thinner/lighter, much lower power consumption and heat generation.
This is the spirit of OPs question.
So mostly electronics then!
The rest (like motors, solar panels etc) gets cheaper eventually put way slower.
Solar panels prices have, for the past several decades, been dropping like a rock while also becoming much highwer quality and higher efficiency. It’s only now that they seem to have for the most part leveled off. Now the panels the cheapest part of a solar setup. Batteries, inverters, and charge controllers are the more expensive items.
Well yes, and no.
Over several decades, yes.
Per year it has been a steady ~5% / year (to be fair IDK about like the last some years) since at least the 1970. It does add up! But slowly.
Electronics? Yeah that’s a falling rock. Like -50 percent (!) Every 18 months or 2 years.
The difference of “Moore’s law” and incremental advances in the rest of the industry really shows off when you compare them side to side.
BTW biotech seems to benefit or run on something like Moore’s law. It’s very interesting times over there IMO.
Why on earth did you buy such a massive television?
You know why. You’re just trying to be smug.
It’s fine if you don’t want a large television, but someone else isn’t CRAZY for making different choices.
It’d be nice to leave the toxicity on those other sites.
You know that won’t happen, people are people.
A $2000 computer from 10 years ago is about as powerful as a $200 smartphone today. Things get cheaper over time.
Great job being cynical.
Is it really cynical if it’s the truth?
It’s not the point of the discussion. It’s about technology getting more accessible over time.
So in this context the statement isn’t true, no.
To add, I think ebikes will be much more commonplace commuting wise. They’re already fairly affordable.
Probably VR/MR, such as Apple’s Vision Pro. I’m not usually one who really cares that much about Apple devices but the Vision Pro looks intriguing, but at the current price that is well far outside of my range.
Absolutely agree. I haven’t used it myself but hearing it describes makes me think theyve made a categorical defining product, much like the iPhone was to smartphones.
I bought a small car last year, the Seat Arona, it has all these features as a relatively inexpensive upgrade. More expensive cars still have a few more features, like automatic lane switching or automatically setting the speed limit, but other than that it’s basically on par.
Matrix headlights.
Electric powertrains.
No to be too much of a downer, but I see it happening the other way around.
Things available to the middle class that will be reserved to the wealthy. Like house owning, swimming pools, cars, plane travel, maybe even personal computers.It really depends on what you define as a luxury. How much is a pineapple in your local supermarket?
Back in the 1800’s they were a luxury item reserved for only the wealthy because they were hard to transport from where they grow natively. They were so exotic that the middle and upper class would literally RENT pineapples for parties as a sign of wealth/prosperity.
These days thanks to modern refrigeration and distribution networks, the average commoner in many parts of the world can enjoy this delicious fruit (which I’ll admit still tastes better when ripened on the plant before harvesting lol)
Yes, other “luxury” things like home ownership, travel, etc are becoming an unobtainable dream for many people in first-world countries around the globe.
But to the OP’s point, look at other technology like satellite phones - once a mythical device mentioned only in fantasy novels a few decades ago and now many newer iPhones can send an SOS signal to overhead satellites and one can buy a bluetooth device so any phone can communicate with satellites (assuming you have a subscription).
Although if you look at things a different way, 100 years ago it wasn’t uncommon for a horse to be one’s primary means of transportation and an automobile was reserved for the wealthy. Now many people (in America) own a car (albeit often in rough condition, but still running somehow lol), but owning a horse is a sign of wealth haha.
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I think it’s already starting to get there, but autopilot will be a normal thing soon.
