PDF Summary:The Future Is Faster Than You Think, by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler
Book Summary: Learn the key points in minutes.
Below is a preview of the Shortform book summary of The Future Is Faster Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler. Read the full comprehensive summary at Shortform.
1-Page PDF Summary of The Future Is Faster Than You Think
Imagine commuting to work in a flying ride-share car, having your clothes 3D printed, or grilling a lab-grown steak. These might sound like scenes from a science fiction movie, but what if these technologies we think are decades away are actually right around the corner? In The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler argue that the future is accelerating toward us because exponential technologies—those developing at increasingly faster rates—are starting to merge, leading to innovations and breakthroughs at unprecedented speeds. The authors predict that by 2030, a blend of these exponential technologies could transform major industries and reshape our lives.
In this guide, we’ll discuss why change and technological progress are occurring at breakneck speed. We’ll then explore the authors’ predictions on how cutting-edge technologies will revolutionize the ways we live and work—from how we learn to how we grow food. Since the book was published in 2020, we’ll provide updates to the authors’ predictions and share additional insights from other experts on how technology trends are shaping our future.
(continued)...
Multisensory Learning
The authors write that in education, VR and AR can help people learn better by providing immersive, interactive, and adaptable experiences, bridging the gap between theory and practice.
First, researchers argue that the multisensory learning that VR and AR can provide is more effective than any other form of learning. Virtual classrooms can put students in immersive teaching environments—allowing them to take history lessons on a Civil War battlefield, for instance. Similarly, an AR-enhanced museum could give students access to multimedia content related to exhibits, allowing them to interact with objects in ways not possible in a traditional museum.
(Shortform note: In Brain Rules, John Medina explains that we learn best when using multiple senses because humans evolved to live in a multisensory world. Our environments are full of different sensory stimuli that occur simultaneously (such as the smell, sound, and feel of rain, for instance), so our brains are naturally designed to make sense of them at the same time. In fact, when we use any of our senses, others are also automatically activated and even enhance one another. For these reasons, we can remember information and solve problems better when we use multiple senses at the same time.)
Second, Diamandis and Kotler write that VR is effective at teaching empathy, which can help students understand difficult topics like homelessness and racism. By simulating experiences and environments, VR allows users to virtually step into someone else’s shoes and experience their realities firsthand, promoting a deeper level of understanding and awareness.
(Shortform note: Like VR, reading fiction can also improve your empathy. Reading simulates experiences and scenarios akin to VR (albeit through your imagination instead of a headset). To follow a fictional story, you must understand different characters’ goals, thoughts, and beliefs. Because of this, research shows that fiction readers are often more adept at understanding what others are thinking and feeling.)
3) Food and the Environment
The authors argue that exponential technologies are paving the way toward a future where we’re less wasteful in the ways we produce and consume food. Technological advances are pioneering better ways to feed a growing global population while also reducing damage to the environment. Specifically, exponential technologies are countering two major issues tied to conventional methods of food production and consumption: waste and the inefficient use of resources.
(Shortform note: According to a UN report, the world population is projected to grow to 9.8 billion by 2050. Some experts argue that we don’t need to produce more food to feed this growing population because globally, we already produce more than enough food to feed the entire planet. Part of the problem lies with extensive global food waste as the authors mention. However, another issue is the lack of biodiversity in agriculture: Over half of the world’s consumed calories come from only four crops (rice, wheat, corn, and soy). This results in homogenous diets that lead to nutritional deficiencies and persisting poverty.)
Wasteful Production and Consumption
Diamandis and Kotler note that traditional agriculture methods lead to waste in both production and consumption. In the United States, only 60% of the food that’s produced is actually eaten—the rest is either left unharvested or is thrown out by consumers. Yet, despite the fact that the country produces vastly more food than it consumes, many people struggle with food insecurity.
(Shortform note: There are two common yet avoidable reasons why people throw out good food: First, people often discard foods that are edible but look imperfect—research shows that over 20 billion pounds of “ugly” food goes to waste every year in the United States. Second, people misunderstand expiration labels. One study showed that people were more likely to throw out food if the label only had a date or if it included the word “use” (such as “best if used by”). Because of this, experts advocate standardizing food labels and clearly informing consumers of their meanings.)
The authors discuss two innovations aimed at reducing waste:
1. Improving photosynthesis. Researchers are exploring ways to increase crop yields by enhancing photosynthesis—the biological process carried out by plants that allows them to turn light energy (usually from the sun) into chemical energy in the form of glucose. Currently, all foods we eat depend on this process—we eat either plants or animals that eat plants. The problem is that photosynthesis isn’t efficient: Less than 1% of sunlight that reaches Earth is photosynthesized. To confront this, some researchers have figured out how to genetically modify plants to have higher levels of a protein that aids in photosynthesis, allowing plants to harness more of the available solar energy and produce larger harvests.
(Shortorm note: Scientists are not only working on optimizing photosynthesis in plants, but they’re also researching ways to grow food without the need for sunlight altogether—a method called artificial photosynthesis. This method changes water, carbon dioxide, and electricity into a substance called acetate. Plants that consume this acetate can grow in complete darkness. This method of food production can be up to 18 times more efficient than the traditional sunlight-dependent method of growing food. Scientists have successfully tested this method with different organisms like green algae, yeast, and mushrooms, as well as crops like tomatoes and peas.)
2. Developing artificial cutin. Fruits and vegetables produce a material in their peel called cutin that protects them from spoiling. Scientists have manufactured an artificial cutin that’s organic and can coat food to provide an extra layer of protection, preserving the freshness of foods longer. This helps prevent food from going bad before we can eat it, reducing waste.
(Shortform note: While artificial cutin may be a new development, coating foods to preserve their freshness has a long history: Chinese farmers in the 12th and 13th centuries used to pack their citrus fruits with wax, and the Japanese coated their foods with an edible film called yuba created from boiled soy milk. Today, many foods we consume are coated in waxes made from materials like sugar cane, beeswax, carnauba (wax from a type of palm), and resins.)
Inefficient Use of Natural Resources
Diamandis and Kotler write that our methods for producing food are highly resource intensive. Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture, and meat production accounts for 70% of global water use. Additionally, most foods must be transported great distances from farm to grocery store, which requires a significant expenditure of time and energy.
(Shortform note: Despite occupying 77% of all farmland, livestock production only accounts for 18% of the world’s calories, highlighting another inefficiency in our global use of resources. The reshaping of natural landscapes into farmland has also drastically changed the global map, leading to the loss of forests, shrubbery, and a variety of habitats. This has taken a significant toll on biodiversity: Out of 28,000 species at risk of extinction, 24,000 have been endangered by agriculture to some extent.)
However, Diamandis and Kotler write that there are two technological innovations poised to reduce the land and water needed to produce food:
1. Cultured meats. Scientists are researching how to grow meat (a steak, for instance) from stem cells to reduce our reliance on the inefficient process of raising and slaughtering animals. The authors note that this process uses far fewer resources like water and land, making it sustainable and affordable as well as more humane.
(Shortform note: In 2023, two startups (Upside Foods and Good Meat) received USDA approval to sell cell-cultivated chicken. These lab-grown meats start off as stem cells extracted from a chicken egg. Food scientists select the best stem cells and freeze them for later use. When it’s time to make the chicken, the cells are placed in a vat filled with a blend of key nutrients that allow them to grow into meat. Scientists then give the meat texture by mixing, heating or shearing it into a nugget or cutlet shape.)
2. Vertical farming. In this approach, crops are grown inside a skyscraper, where conditions such as light and temperature can be controlled. Vertical farming requires less land and water, and it isn’t affected by the weather. Additionally, because vertical farming allows crops to be grown close to city centers, it also reduces the transportation necessary to get products to consumers, thereby reducing energy use.
(Shortform note: Vertical farming has some challenges to overcome before it can overtake traditional forms of agriculture. It’s currently most suited for growing leafy greens such as lettuce. Traditional farming methods are still better for growing cereal, row crops like corn and rice, and small fruits and vegetables (although research on growing these latter foods in vertical farms is ongoing). In addition, while vertical farms hold great promise in reducing energy use, their energy consumption remains relatively high because they require extensive artificial lighting and HVAC systems to control humidity.)
4) Health Care and Medicine
The health care sector is also being transformed: According to Diamandis and Kotler, converging, exponential technologies are creating a health care system that’s personalized, proactive, and affordable.
Preventive and Personalized Care
The authors write that health care today is largely reactive rather than preventive: We often seek medical intervention after manifesting symptoms of diseases and illnesses. However, exponential technologies will help transform this reactive approach into a proactive one in several ways.
(Shortform note: Diamandis and Kotler’s discussion centers on a Western approach to health care, but Eastern medicine tends to focus more on prevention. This is because while Western medicine focuses on analyzing symptoms and separate organ systems, Eastern medicine views the mind, body, and spirit as a whole. Thus, Eastern approaches like tai chi, acupuncture, and herbal medicine promote prevention and proactivity by recognizing imbalances in the body and mind and correcting them before they manifest as illnesses.)
Diamandis and Kotler write that with the development of body sensors and wearable technology, you’ll be able to monitor your health in real time and with increasing accuracy and detail. These technologies can keep track of vital health metrics (ranging from glucose levels to heart rate), and they can analyze this data for early signs of illnesses or disease. They can possibly even alert you if you’ve contracted a virus, allowing timely and preventive treatments that can improve health and reduce costs.
(Shortform note: If we become increasingly reliant on technology for tracking and managing our health, it will be important that our devices provide accurate information. However, studies show that the accuracy of wearable health monitoring devices can vary for different people. For instance, some devices are less accurate for people of color, such as pulse oximeters (which measure the oxygen level of your blood). Thus, experts argue that researchers should include diverse individuals when testing these devices and ensure that the devices take into account individual user characteristics when interpreting results.)
Diamandis and Kotler add that advances in genomics and gene therapy will enable us to tackle diseases before people even manifest symptoms. For example, the emerging gene-editing tool called CRISPR can adjust DNA sequences, potentially allowing us to “switch off” harmful genetic traits and thereby fight debilitating genetic diseases.
(Shortform note: While gene-editing tools have the potential to combat crippling diseases, CRISPR still has several limitations that researchers have not yet overcome. First, it’s hard to use CRISPR to edit a large number of cells, which means it's less effective for treating diseases that, for example, span the full body. Second, it’s not always effective—some cells may be targeted by CRISPR but still not get edited to any noticeable degree. Third, CRISPR isn’t perfectly accurate and can make unintended, although rare, changes that can have serious consequences.)
Some companies (such as Human Longevity Inc. cofounded by Diamandis) offer extensive health scanning services that aim to provide you an in-depth health profile by mapping your entire genome as well as performing other body scans and blood tests. This allows you to identify potential genetic predispositions to certain illnesses or detect early signs of disease. Health care professionals can also create custom treatment plans based on your individual genetic profile. This personalized health care approach can significantly improve your health and the efficiency of treatment.
(Shortform note: Many experts agree that full body health scans and genome sequencing can detect early signs of disease and allow people to get treatment sooner, but some argue that getting these detailed health profiles can have drawbacks. One study suggests that simply knowing about your genetic risks can change your body and your risk level for the disease or condition. In the study, participants who were told they were less prone to obesity produced over two times more of the hormones that made them feel full when eating. Similarly, people who were told they had a gene that made them struggle with exercise performed worse on a treadmill test. Thus, researchers advocate studying ways to convey genetic risk information without triggering a negative physiological response.)
Robot-Assisted Procedures and Artificial Replacement Parts
Diamandis and Kotler write that exponential technologies will also take over aspects of medical procedures previously overseen entirely by humans.
First, researchers are developing robots that can assist surgeons during operations. Robots can conduct intricate surgeries with high precision, potentially reducing the risk of human-related errors. Additionally, advances in nanotechnology (the manipulation of materials on an atomic scale) are leading to the creation of microbots, which can enter the body to perform treatments and conduct minimally invasive procedures.
(Shortform note: Since the book’s publication, nanobots have not yet been widely used in medical treatments nor has there been a fully robot-operated surgery performed on a human. However, a robot recently performed laparoscopic surgery on a pig, successfully reconnecting two ends of an intestine without human guidance.)
Second, Diamandis and Kotler write that these new technologies will be able to create usable body parts. Instead of relying on donors for transplants (which is costly in time and money), scientists are researching ways to bioengineer organs from stem cells. Moreover, they’ll be able to print 3D prosthetics quickly and affordably, providing a vast improvement over conventional methods of manufacturing prosthetics.
(Shortform note: Advances in stem cell and 3D printing technologies could have a profound impact on countless lives. Currently in the United States, the demand for organs surpasses supply. According to the CDC, there are over 100,000 people on waiting lists for organs while living donors provide roughly 6,000 organs yearly (as for deceased donors, around 14,000 individuals provided an average of 3.5 organs in 2021). Moreover, 3D printing has made prosthetics significantly more affordable, with some costing as little as $50—compared to the $1,500 to $8,000 of traditional prosthetics.)
5) Movement and Space
According to Diamandis and Kotler, advances in sensor technologies, artificial intelligence, and other technologies will allow us to travel faster and farther. They’ll also create opportunities to explore and inhabit new spaces—both real and simulated.
Unprecedented Travel Speeds
The authors write that we’ll be able to travel greater distances in significantly less time, increasing our access to resources and changing where we live, work, vacation, and so on. The authors outline some future modes of transportation that will contribute to this revolution:
1. Autonomous vehicles: The authors predict that self-driving vehicles that don’t require human intervention to get from one location to another will soon be the dominant form of transportation. These vehicles will be made possible through the convergence of technologies such as sensors and artificial intelligence. Eventually, this shift will extend to autonomous flight vehicles, opening up a new transportation network in the sky.
(Shortform note: The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defines five levels of automated vehicles for measuring the progress of self-driving technology. Levels 0 to 2 have features like cruise control but require an active, engaged driver who takes ultimate responsibility for the vehicle’s operation. At Level 3 (also known as “conditional automation”), cars can drive on their own under certain conditions but will alert drivers to take control when needed. As of 2023, Mercedes-Benz became the first to offer level 3 automation with its Drive Pilot system. At level 5, cars will be fully automated under any conditions—perhaps even self-piloting through the sky as Diamandis and Kotler anticipate.)
2. High-speed travel: At present, airplanes are the fastest mode of transportation. However, Diamandis and Kotler argue that advancing technologies will soon change this. Visionaries like Elon Musk (the founder of SpaceX) have been working to make high-speed trains and rocket travel a reality. SpaceX’s Starship is one example of this ambition, aiming to enable high-speed travel across Earth—allowing you to travel across the globe within an hour, for instance.
(Shortform note: Developing high-speed transportation, like any other technological innovation, is often a process of trial and error. In 2023, SpaceX tested the Starship rocket for the first time, conducting its first test launch in April and its second in November. Both launches ended in explosions. However, many consider the second launch a success, as SpaceX engineers were able to address key issues that afflicted the first launch.)
New Real and Virtual Spaces
Diamandis and Kotler write that exponential technologies will also allow us to inhabit new spaces. For example, advances in structural engineering and materials science could allow us to design and construct sustainable cities that float on the ocean. These cities could provide additional living spaces for the growing global population.
(Shortform note: OCEANIX, a New York maritime tech company, partnered with the South Korean city of Busan to create the world’s first prototype of a floating city. The city is made up of interconnected neighborhoods and accommodates 12,000 people. It’s designed to be dynamic and adaptable, allowing for future growth or shrinkage as required, and can generate all its required operational energy on-site via solar panels. Each neighborhood will handle its own water treatment and replenishment, waste reduction, and even urban farming.)
Perhaps the most revolutionary expansion of “livable space” may come from technological breakthroughs in virtual reality. As VR becomes increasingly sophisticated, we may spend more time in simulated environments—whether we’re shopping or holding a meeting with colleagues. We may even one day be able to use brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to link our minds with computers.
The Importance of Information in a Digital Future
In The Singularity Is Near, computer scientist Ray Kurzweil shares Diamandis and Kotler’s prediction that existence will one day be just as digital as it is physical—if not entirely digital. He cautions that if we use technologies like brain-computer interfaces to connect our brains directly with computers, it’s crucial we carefully manage how information is handled and stored.
This is because in a fully digital world, our entire reality (including our digital selves) would be made up of information mapped from the world and our brains—for instance, our knowledge, personality, and memories. Any accidental or deliberate change made to this data could then change whatever reality we reside in and who we are. Similarly, if sensitive information were to fall in the wrong hands, we might even be replicated in the physical world through the use of nanotechnology without our knowledge. Thus, in a digital future, maintaining the integrity of information becomes vital for safeguarding our reality and identities.
6) Money and Finance
For centuries, banks have been in charge of our money: We rely on them to verify, record, and update our financial transactions. However, Diamandis and Kotler argue that with the advent of digital currencies and block chain technology, banks will no longer be critical to our financial dealings. Instead, money and finance will become increasingly decentralized and personalized.
The authors explain that a digital currency is a type of money that only exists online. Digital currencies, like Bitcoin, allow people to make real-time transactions directly with one another without a bank’s involvement. This has a host of benefits, according to the authors. For example, digital currencies provide people without bank accounts a way to store money, and they save people money by eliminating bank transaction fees.
Why Bitcoin Is a Good Form of Money
Like Diamandis and Kotler, many experts see cryptocurrencies playing a large role in the future of finance. In The Bitcoin Standard, Saifedean Ammous argues that bitcoin in particular has the potential to become a new international monetary standard—a modern equivalent of gold. Traditional currencies (like dollars and euros) are controlled and manipulated by governments and financial institutions, which can lead to issues like inflation and economic instability.
On the other hand, Ammous sees bitcoin as a good form of money because it’s beyond government control and has good salability. It’s also finite like gold (only 21 million bitcoins can ever be mined), so it won’t lose value due to inflation like paper money and fiat currencies that can be continually printed.
The underlying technology that makes digital currency possible is called a blockchain, which Diamandis and Kotler explain is essentially a massive digital ledger that verifies and records bitcoin transactions using a secure network of computers. Every transaction ever made adds a “block” to existing blocks, resulting in a chain that anyone can review. This makes it more transparent than traditional banking systems.
(Shortform note: Blockchain technology is not just the cornerstone of cryptocurrencies—it’s used in many industries beyond finance as well—from health care to media and entertainment. For instance, Fishcoin uses blockchain to share every point along the seafood supply chain to promote transparency and traceability from source to consumer. In doing so, the developers hope to improve sustainability in the seafood industry.)
The authors add that AI will further refine these new financial systems. AI could give us personalized financial advice, helping us make better decisions about our money without a financial adviser. AI can also make peer-to-peer loans and transactions safer by checking a person’s background and generating an accurate picture of their trustworthiness.
(Shortform note: Other experts caution that before AI can be considered an effective financial adviser, it must first overcome several limitations. One of these limitations is that AI tools often exhibit overconfidence and biases, similar to human behavior. Financial advisers are skilled at helping clients avoid mistakes caused by behavioral biases, but AI tools currently struggle with this. Furthermore, AI tools are still inconsistent and not always accurate, which makes them somewhat unreliable at this stage.)
Want to learn the rest of The Future Is Faster Than You Think in 21 minutes?
Unlock the full book summary of The Future Is Faster Than You Think by signing up for Shortform.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being 100% comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you don't spend your time wondering what the author's point is.
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Here's a preview of the rest of Shortform's The Future Is Faster Than You Think PDF summary:
What Our Readers Say
This is the best summary of The Future Is Faster Than You Think I've ever read. I learned all the main points in just 20 minutes.
Learn more about our summaries →Why are Shortform Summaries the Best?
We're the most efficient way to learn the most useful ideas from a book.
Cuts Out the Fluff
Ever feel a book rambles on, giving anecdotes that aren't useful? Often get frustrated by an author who doesn't get to the point?
We cut out the fluff, keeping only the most useful examples and ideas. We also re-organize books for clarity, putting the most important principles first, so you can learn faster.
Always Comprehensive
Other summaries give you just a highlight of some of the ideas in a book. We find these too vague to be satisfying.
At Shortform, we want to cover every point worth knowing in the book. Learn nuances, key examples, and critical details on how to apply the ideas.
3 Different Levels of Detail
You want different levels of detail at different times. That's why every book is summarized in three lengths:
1) Paragraph to get the gist
2) 1-page summary, to get the main takeaways
3) Full comprehensive summary and analysis, containing every useful point and example