Exponential Technologies in a Post-Pandemic Era

One thing is clear: Silicon Valley needs to re-focus its efforts

This article was originally published in Forbes Middle East.

For most of human history, progress has been linear. Trade and globalization were limited by distance. New inventions took decades to evolve. But with the onset of the 20th century, the path of mankind’s progress changed. We now live in an exponential era, in which industries are constantly on the brink of disruption.

But what exactly does “exponential” mean? Envision this: If you take 30 linear steps, you’ll find yourself 30 meters forward. But if you take 30 exponential steps, you could be a billion meters away from your starting point.

Exponential figures are not intuitive to us. Trends in exponential growth are unpredictable; a technological innovation on the exponential curve may explode and spread like wildfire without any indication whatsoever. This means that the technology moves faster than society. It essentially signifies that technology stays ahead of us.

Exponential technologies that surround us today include 3D-printing, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual reality, digital biology, biotech, nanomedicine, computing systems, autonomous vehicles… and many more.