��������

During the Cold War between the US-led capitalist Western bloc and the Soviet-led communist Eastern bloc, political leaders constantly needed to anticipate their adversary’s next move. Professional futurology emerged to meet that need. One of its most famous successes was Moore’s law, a statistical observation of past and present trends in computing power that allowed remarkably accurate predictions about the future.

Today, however, the pace of change is so rapid that there seems little room for the likes of Arthur C. Clarke, Marshall McLuhan, Buckminster Fuller or Alvin Toffler — futurists who thrived when technological and socioeconomic shifts unfolded over years rather than months. Predictions about the coming capabilities of artificial intelligence alone are so mind-boggling that many people hope they are just speculation. Yet AI is only one part of a much larger picture.

Genetics and gene therapy are redefining medicine. Space science is pushing the boundaries with each new rocket and telescope. Breakthroughs in smart mobility, energy storage and computing power now occur so frequently that they can feel almost routine.

Only a few decades ago, such developments would have been fodder for Isaac Asimov science fiction novels or BBC programs hosted by Clarke. Today, announcements of revolutionary progress are often buried under geopolitical headlines or hidden behind paywalls. Important innovations — whether promising or perilous — struggle to hold public attention in an age of fragmented media and shortened attention spans.

Consider synthetic biology and gene editing. CRISPR-Cas9 and newer base- and prime-editing methods are enabling scientists to rewrite DNA with extraordinary precision. Beyond treating previously incurable genetic diseases, these tools allow the design of organisms that can produce medicines, biodegradable plastics or clean fuels. Applications range from malaria-resistant mosquitoes to yeast engineered to produce human insulin — advances that could, in time, transform healthcare, agriculture and manufacturing alike. 

Breakthroughs in smart mobility, energy storage and computing power now occur so frequently that they can feel almost routine.

Arnab Neil Sengupta

Reproductive technology is another area where the future has arrived. Noor Siddiqui’s San Francisco Bay Area company Orchid is pioneering comprehensive whole-genome sequencing for embryos, analyzing more than 99 percent of their DNA from just a handful of cells. According to reports, Orchid screens for more than 1,200 monogenic conditions and uses polygenic risk scoring to estimate susceptibility to complex diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, diabetes and heart disease. The resulting ethical debates around “designer babies” have led to accusations that Orchid is toying with reproduction. However, in parts of the Arab world where genetic disorders are more common due to higher historical rates of close-kin marriage, such screening could significantly reduce the prevalence of these illnesses.

Clean energy is another field moving at breathtaking speed. Nuclear fusion experiments have achieved net energy gain, perovskite-based solar cells promise cheaper and more efficient photovoltaics, and advanced battery storage is moving closer to making renewable energy fully reliable. A future characterized by unlimited fusion power could deliver constant, carbon-free electricity with minimal waste, paving the way for technologies such as large-scale desalination and carbon capture.

Quantum computing, once a purely theoretical pursuit, is now within reach of practical application. By exploiting quantum mechanics, these systems can process information in ways that are beyond classical computers, solving in minutes problems that would otherwise take millennia. Advances in qubit stability and error correction bring closer a revolution in drug discovery, logistics optimization and climate modeling — fields that could change the way humanity tackles its most daunting challenges.

Space travel and exploration, the stuff of sci-fi visions since the time of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, is now being propelled by both governments and private companies. SpaceX, Blue Origin and Rocket Lab are reducing costs with reusable rockets, while NASA’s Artemis program plans to return humans to the Moon and prepare for Mars missions in the 2030s. Other projects include asteroid mining for rare materials and mega-constellations of satellites to provide global internet coverage. In the long term, advances in propulsion, resource utilization and life-support systems could make settlements outside the Earth feasible, converting humanity into a multiplanetary species. 

Today, the challenge is less about imagining a distant future and more about shaping the transformative forces already in motion.

Arnab Neil Sengupta

For the Arab world, these innovations and shifts offer endless opportunities. AI can optimize oil and gas operations, improve agricultural yields, streamline logistics and enhance public services, enabling countries like �������� and the UAE to achieve their reform visions faster. Synthetic biology and gene editing can address region-specific genetic disorders and bolster food security in arid climates. Clean energy technologies, especially solar and potentially fusion, can support the strategic shift away from hydrocarbons. Quantum computing could provide powerful tools for finance, defense and environmental modeling in a region facing acute climate and water challenges.

Space programs are already raising the Arab region’s profile. The UAE’s Hope probe to Mars, ��������’s space initiatives and the region’s increasing investments in satellite networks are strengthening telecommunications, disaster management and climate monitoring. Participation in deep-space missions is building not only scientific capacity but also international standing. By adopting and adapting these frontier technologies, the Arab world can potentially leapfrog older development models and position itself as a leader in the global knowledge economy.

In the Cold War era, futurists looked decades ahead, drawing on patterns in the present to guide long-term planning. Today, the challenge is less about imagining a distant future and more about recognizing and shaping the transformative scientific and technological forces already in motion. Indeed, in many fields, change is now so rapid that by the time a prediction is made, reality may already have overtaken it.

• Arnab Neil Sengupta is a senior editor at Arab News.

X: @arnabnsg