Dear Backchannel readers:
Jessi here. This time last year, we didn’t know that a computer would best a human at the strategy game Go, or that Uber would begin testing self-driving cars in Pittsburgh. We didn’t know that Tesla would announce plans to merge with Solar City, or that Microsoft would buy LinkedIn. And we certainly had no idea that a man known for his cutting delivery of the line “You’re Fired” on national television would be elected the next President of the United States.
The future can be hard to predict. But what about what comes first: the forces that create that future? That’s the stuff we’ve been writing about all year at Backchannel. And we believe that if you have a strong command of those forces—incisive analysis of the developments that are shaping the world—the news that follows will not catch you by surprise.
As 2016 draws to a close, our editorial team has tried to put this year’s news into context, and look to what it portends. What has emerged is our 2017 primer for the future. We set about locating six trends that are shaping our world now—and have huge ramifications as we look toward next year. If you understand these six trends, you will be well positioned to make thoughtful decisions about your business and your lives in the year to come. In short, this is what will matter most in 2017.
Artificial intelligence will take over everything. Sandra Upson makes a case for why—even if AI threatens to take away our jobs and change the way we live—we must double down on our investments in developing it.
Virtual reality will become a social experience. The purpose of VR, so far, has been creating a fully immersive experience. As such, it can be fairly isolating. Signe Brewster explains why developers are start to think seriously about how to use VR as a social tool, for connection.
Voice interfaces will usher in the rise of the next big platform. When Amazon introduced us to Alexa, it was really bringing us a new computing interface: a voice devoid of a screen that will eventually grow to be more ubiquitous and more useful than our smartphoness. I explain why.
We’ll fight cancer before it becomes cancer. K McGowan unpacks efforts to shut down tumors when the cells are still premalignancies—a.k.a., already funky and wrong and predisposed to cancer, but relatively docile and simple to deal with.
Telecommuters will replace cubicle dwellers. In response to the coming economic crunch — and because software has transformed the possibility — companies are hiring workers to get the job done from anywhere. Benjamin Snyder reports on a breed of dispersed companies that are becoming the norm.
We will draw closer to taking our hands off the wheel. In 2017, autonomous car companies will hurry to iron out the technical, regulatory, and economic details needed, Mark Harris writes, so that one day somewhat soon, most of us will be able to take our eyes off the road — and play Pokémon Go.
Which brings us to the one idea that landed with the biggest thump among our editors — the 2016 Backchannel Big Idea. What is it, you ask? You’ll have to read Steven Levy’s story to find out.
Thank you. This year, we got bigger — more substantial, more substantive, and more ambitious. We ran investigative pieces, deep looks into the most important tech companies, and well-researched analysis on the impact and evolution of tech. We met you in person, at our first-ever breakfast salon. Every time we stretched, you met us — with your ideas, comments, and contributions. As a growing conversation unfolds about the importance of original reporting, we are grateful to have the resources and attention to create work that we believe to be a service to our industry and to our audience. You are the most important part of this. On behalf of Steven Levy, Sandra Upson, Alexis Sobel Fitts, Miranda Katz, and the many writers we have worked with to bring you Backchannel, I thank you for reading, and for contributing your thoughts and perspectives. It really matters.
Happy Holidays! We can’t wait to join you again in the New Year!
