IEEE has published the Technology Megatrends 2030 Report, a global forecast outlining how artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies are expected to reshape industries, labor markets, and daily life over the next decade. The report draws on insights from 168 IEEE experts across 38 countries and six continents, synthesizing perspectives on energy demands, infrastructure, and technological interdependence.
The study evaluates 30 breakthrough technologies across five areas: AI, energy, health and biotechnology, space technology, and robotics. Developed through workshops and survey data from multiple IEEE committees and societies, the report emphasizes that future progress will be driven by interconnected systems rather than isolated innovations. It highlights the growing interdependence of AI scalability, compute infrastructure, and energy grids as a defining challenge for the digital era.
The panel identified several key trends. Human‑AI interaction is expected to move rapidly toward real‑time audio and video interfaces within two to three years. Automation will continue to reshape employment, making AI literacy a fundamental skill across sectors. Personalized medicine was rated as the highest‑impact advancement, with AI‑driven diagnostics and genetic therapies projected to enter mainstream healthcare within four years. Energy generation and storage capacity is expected to double in developed nations, but rising AI infrastructure demands may offset efficiency gains, keeping electricity consumption high.
The report also includes a risk‑reward analysis of emerging technologies such as gene editing, autonomous weapons, artificial general intelligence, brain‑computer interfaces, and geoengineering. It concludes that technologies most likely to scale will be those built on trust, explainability, and safe human‑AI interaction.
Click here to read the original press release.
