UPDATED 14:15 EDT / DECEMBER 19 2011

Mind-Reading Machines by 2016: IBM Predictions

IBM published its 6th annual “Five in Five” predictions, which encompasses its visions of innovation that will drastically change our lives over the next five years. Mind-reading machines to interpret our thoughts are one of the notable technologies to go rampant by 2016.

The Five predictions in full are as follows:

• You will make your own energy: Anything that moves has the potential to create energy. Your running shoes, your bicycle and even the water flowing through your pipes can create energy.

• You will not need a password: Your biological makeup is the key to your individual identity, and soon, it will become the key to safeguarding it.

• Mind reading is no longer science fiction: Scientists are researching how to link your brain to your devices, such as a computer or a smartphone, so you just need to think about calling someone and it happens.

• The digital divide will cease to exist: In five years, the gap between information haves and have-nots will narrow considerably due to advances in mobile technology.

• Junk mail will become priority mail: Think about how often we’re flooded with advertisements we consider to be irrelevant or unwanted – it doesn’t have to be that way anymore.

Big Blue has held its position as one of the tech world’s titans over the decades despite its heavy focus on corporations and not so much on consumer experience. Still, the company says they are on the lookout for the future of both.

“The IBM Five in Five is based on market and societal trends expected to transform our lives, as well as emerging technologies from IBM Labs around the world that can make these innovations possible,” states IBM.

“In fact the mind-reading prediction is based on work undertaken in our R&D laboratory in the UK. Many of the company’s previous Five in Five predictions are already taking root, such as in 2008, when IBM predicted that consumers would be talking to the web – and the web would talk right back.”

Check out this video to view the predictions in motion (below), and just in case it may be of your interest, here’s last year’s list of Five in Five predictions. IBM seems to enjoy looking into the future because aside from their year-end predictions, they also have some cool futuristic ideas for high-performance computing.

But even as IBM looks to the future, it’s busy working on today’s innovations to help make some of its forward-thinking innovations tomorrow’s reality.  Recently IBM expanded its Smart Cloud commerce initiative by providing cloud and on-premise software that helps companies understand their performance in terms of supply chain operations and all of the accompanying aspects, as they acquire Emptoris for an undisclosed amount. Big Blue also bought cloud analytics firm DemandTec for $400 million.


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