You might have heard about how one day your home appliances will work autonomously, communicate with each other and predict your needs. But exactly how far from actuality is this level of technology?

Futurist Morris Miselowski believes smart technologies, commonly referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT), will have “mainstream acceptance” and ubiquity within the next decade.

“We’ve had [IoT technology] in science fiction for 100 years. It’s always been implied that at some point technology will be able to understand itself and will be able to do things for us without us having to ask.”

Morris has 34 years’ experience consulting to companies looking to understand the scope of technological possibilities.

“My conversations have always been about tomorrow,” he says.

Morris expects IoT will be in many people’s homes within the next decade.

“The connected home will have all of its usual objects but they will all be orchestrated. Our technology will be able to manage our home without us being there or even when we are there, in advance of us knowing we need it.”

He acknowledges that even though IoT devices are already available around the world, the prevalence of these technologies will only increase once they are more affordable to buy, install and run.

“You’d have to have serious money at the moment [to connect your [whole] home [to IoT].”

Companies are investing heavily in Internet of Things technologies

Companies that are heavily investing in developing IoT excite Morris.

“Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, all the major manufacturers we know in retail are all pushing and believing in this space. Samsung invested $100 million at the beginning of this year [in IoT],” he says.

“Target US launched a 3500-square store in San Francisco solely dedicated to the IoT. It’s a showcasing opportunity with a few bits and pieces that can be bought, but they believe strongly this will be a huge part of their business moving forward.”

“Sony also announced one of the reasons they’re staying in smartphones is purely for the IoT. They believe the phone will be one of the central conduits.”

He says it’s surprising that companies who are less involved in IoT product development, like Apple, are the brands people most associate with the technology.

“There was a recent report by ThroughTek – they surveyed 1157 US adults and what I found unbelievable was that they found 48 per cent of those people believe Apple was at the forefront of IoT, when in fact Apple has very little to do with this technology whatsoever.”

“Google, which has the largest [stake in IoT] at this stage, has only 13 per cent of mindshare.”

Internet of Things will change the way we live and communicate

Morris says there is a current resistance – a “cringe factor” – to supposedly “give up” human autonomy to technology.

But he believes once IoT becomes immersed within our homes, workplaces and retail interactions, we will struggle to remember an existence without it.

“If the IoT lives up to its promises, most of us will wonder how we lived without it.”

And the acceptance of IoT into our lives will change society.

“It’s not just about machines. It really does begin to change who we are human beings, how we interact with one another and what experiences we have.”

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