The forecast leverages insights from 168 IEEE technical experts in 38 countries to gain a global perspective on the changes in technology, energy demand, and infrastructure that will define the next decade of AI.
Piscataway, New Jersey, July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IEEE, the world’s largest professional technology organization and philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, announced today Technology Megatrends 2030 Report. This global forecast synthesizes insights from 168 IEEE technical and scientific experts across 38 countries on six continents to map the most important technological forces expected to reshape industries, labor markets, and daily life over the next decade.
of 2030 technology megatrends report will evaluate 30 breakthrough technologies across five core areas: artificial intelligence (AI), energy, health and biotechnology, space technology, and physical AI (robotics) to determine their potential to reshape industry and human life by 2030. It was developed from workshops and survey data from the IEEE Future Directions Committee’s Industry Advisory Board (FDC-IAB), IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Santa Clara Valley Section, and IEEE Industry Engagement Committee.
The panel’s central finding marks a major shift in the way we commonly predict the future, with progress through 2030 being driven by a massive, invisible domino effect of interconnected systems, rather than a checklist of independent breakthroughs. The report reveals that AI scalability, computing infrastructure, and energy grids are now closely linked as first-order issues. For industry-wide success, it is no longer possible to consider these technologies individually. Increased interdependence will shape the pace and impact of the next digital era.
“For decades, technology predictions have been about what machines will be able to do,” he said. Mary Ellen Randall, 2026 IEEE President, CEO, IEEE Fellow. “This report shifts the conversation to something more important: how these advances intersect with each other to shape human lives. The data makes clear that trust, safety, and human connection must guide all major advances over the next decade.”
What data means for everyday life
The 168 IEEE panelists represent academia, industry, government, and professional organizations. They examined each technology from five dimensions: likelihood of technical success, impact on humanity, maturity, market adoption, and time to widespread commercial adoption. Key findings include:
- Human-AI interaction change rapidly: Human-AI interaction has the shortest timeframe for widespread commercial adoption of the technologies described in the report. The panel expects interfaces to move from text-based typing to primarily real-time cognitive audio and video interactions within a short market timeline of two to three years.
- People without jobs and jobs without people: As automation reshapes white-collar roles and new AI-powered positions emerge in every field, AI literacy will become a fundamental job skill, essential for administrative, trade, and technical jobs alike. Long-term business success depends not only on technical capabilities, but also on trust, security, governance, and secure human-AI interactions. This is a human-centered guardrail that allows AI to scale responsibly and support employees who need to continue learning as technology evolves.
- Healthcare becomes personal: The panel rated personalized medicine as the most impactful technological advancement across the study, scoring it 4.93 out of 5.00 for its potential to improve human life. The report highlights that accelerating AI-driven breakthroughs will aggressively move personalized treatments, early disease diagnosis, and individualized gene therapy from the laboratory to routine medicine within the next four years.
- Global energy crunch: Energy generation and storage is increasing rapidly, with capacity expected to double in developed countries over the next two to three years. However, this progress faces high hurdles posed by AI. Technology infrastructure already uses an estimated 10% of the world’s electricity. The report warns that improving the efficiency of AI chips will not reduce energy usage. Instead, data centers continue to consume as much power as the grid can provide, as organizations take advantage of cost savings and run more hardware.
“We are witnessing a fundamental shift in the evolution of technology,” he said. Dejan Milojicic, IEEE Future Directions Committee Industry Advisory Committee Chair, IEEE Fellow. “AI no longer operates in a vacuum, but is deeply connected to our energy, infrastructure, and physical systems. These trends are so intertwined that they require a big-picture approach to building technology, along with a workforce that is ready to continually learn and adapt.”
Balance risks and opportunities
The report includes a risk-reward analysis of emerging technologies beyond the core 30, including gene editing, autonomous weapons systems, artificial general intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, and geoengineering. The panel emphasizes that the technologies most likely to scale at a societal level are those built on trust, explainability, and safe human-AI interactions, not those that advance fastest.
Another important takeaway from this report is the tug of war between technology and society. While powerful “drivers” such as the AI race are accelerating the technology, global “restraints” such as geopolitical challenges and talent shortages are holding back societal progress.
“As a public charity dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, IEEE believes that progress should be measured by more than the speed of technology development and implementation.” Sophia Muirhead, IEEE Executive Director and COO. “Whether it’s reskilling the world’s workforce or responsibly integrating AI into everyday life, the success of these megatrends will depend on ensuring that innovation strengthens human well-being and societal trust.”
For more information, Technology Megatrends 2030 Report Available at https://engage.ieee.org/FD-Megatrends-2030.html.
About IEEE
IEEE is the world’s largest professional technology organization and public charity dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technical standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is a trusted voice across a wide range of fields, from global standards, aerospace systems, computers, and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, power, and consumer electronics. For more information, please visit https://www.ieee.org.
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