The technology landscape is changing rapidly; predicting the future has never been more difficult. But we gave it a try. Would you like to know what we think the world will look like in 2040?

By 2040, artificial intelligence (AI) will likely be everywhere and embedded in everything. The big variable is how humans manage, control and maximize it. On the one hand, people could take a laissez-fair attitude towards AI regulation which would encourage technological innovation but could also increase some of the big risks and concerns about AI. Or society could heavily regulate it and control it which would alleviate some fears as a society, but would ultimately reduce the value (and the quality of life benefits) that AI could deliver.

By offering four possible scenarios for the world in 2040, we recognize that the decisions people make today will have a profound impact on the way our companies, governments, societies and institutions operate in the future. Which of our four scenarios ends up becoming reality (or partial reality) is still anyone’s guess.

The future may be uncertain. But that does not mean that today’s decision-makers shouldn’t be thinking about possible future scenarios and – more importantly – how they can steer their organization to success through this period of continued disruption.

This report offers today’s decision-makers a unique – and highly plausible – set of views into the future. We hope you enjoy our trip into the year 2040.