Hamburg News: In your new book, "Future Pics", you describe the world in 2040. What can we expect and what developments should we prepare for?
Birgit Gebhardt: In my mind, I describe what work could mean for our lives in future - in a company, in government, in retail, in the family, at university, in a hospital, even in a refugee camp. Everything centers on communication and networking as human support, as a service, as a business model. In 2040, everything in the world will be talking - people, machines, robots, bots, sensors. It will be up to us to make communication work so that everything is understood correctly.
Hamburg News: What skills will we need to live well in future?
Birgit Gebhardt: We need curiosity, courage and a kind of general studies course with a physical connection to our environment. Quite simply, constant training (in experience) to build up broad experiential knowledge and to practise soft skills and critical judgement. We will simulate plenty with digital twins to anticipate risks, and we will interact to develop novelties - partly in a gaming chair, partly together on a product. The office of the future will be a kind of accelerator or maker space, where the best solution is discussed with suppliers and end users.
