Tech start-ups to dominate in AI-driven "mirror world": futurist writer

Mixed Reality (MR) glasses and the AI-powered "mirror world" will create all kinds of new products and services and start-ups that will outshine the existing tech giants and become the dominant players in this arena, renowned "digital prophet" Kevin Kelly told China Central Television (CCTV).

On April 20, 1994, China achieved a fully functional connection to the Internet, becoming the 77th country to access it. Three decades on, the country has nearly 1.1 billion internet users and witnessed a rapid rise in digital prowess.

CCTV invited Kelly, a visionary tech writer who has multiple successful predictions about technological trends in his book "Out of Control" published 30 years ago to share his insights into the future of digital technologies such as AI.

Kelly predicts that MR glasses will be the next big thing after the phone, envisioning a "mirror world" that will be a virtual replica of the physical world.

"The mirror world, let me explain what it is. The mirror world is a digital twin of the real world at the same scale. So in theory, we'll eventually have a version of this room, and we'll be able to see the room at the same scale. And it’ll have everything in it, the bookcases, and the table, and lights, and maybe even avatars of people. You can have smart glasses, you can have an iPad, you can have telepresence. There are lots of ways to view it, meaning that the AIs can read it, the AIs can understand it, and that's really, really big," Kelly said.

The futurist believes humanity will take a big step forward in the path from digitalizing information in documents to digitalizing the whole world, which will create a great many new jobs and products.

"Thousands of startups and jobs will come from that. Millions of people will be able to work with that digital version of the world, and all kinds of new products and services will come from it. Just like when we first digitized all the information in all the documents, that was Google and Baidu. Then you had all these services that you could get to once you had everything digitized. Well, with all the information digitized now, we're digitizing the real world. That's bigger," he said.

Kelly noted that the winner in this race will not be established companies such as Apple and Microsoft.

"I would be shocked if Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft was either the leader in AI or in the mirror world arena. The advantage is to the startups. So there will be a startup in the MR, mirror world. Facebook and Google and Apple are not going to be the dominant players," he said.

As the world sets its sights on next-generation 6G technology, Kelly said the communication base for a "mirror world" could be 10G, suggesting that there is still a long way to go to see that scenario.

"I think you need 10G. The amount of data that when you have millions of people sharing the world in three dimensions, volumetric, and AI processing, the scale is so, so huge. So, that's why it's going to take a while," said the writer.

Tech start-ups to dominate in AI-driven "mirror world": futurist writer

On his second official visit to China, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Charlot Salwai expressed admiration for China's remarkable ability to balance preserving its cultural heritage with embracing innovative transformation.

Salwai paid an official visit to China from July 7 to 12. During his trip, he toured the southern province of Guangdong and explored the megacities of Beijing and Shanghai. His visit included tours of high-tech companies, a ride on a high-speed train, and a performance of traditional Cantonese opera.

In an interview with China Central Television Network (CCTV) aired on Friday, Salwai recounted his journey starting with a warm welcome that included enjoying Beijing Roast Duck, also known as Peking Duck -- a culinary delight introduced to him by the Chinese ambassador in Vanuatu.

"Many had to say. Peking Duck. Because we had it here on our arrival, so it was very tasty. And I understand that the Chinese ambassador in Vanuatu brought us to one of the traditional restaurants, small but beautiful," he said. The prime minister sees China's preservation of its culture as a vital lesson in understanding one's roots and the journey to the present day, acknowledging China's efforts to integrate cultural preservation with modernization.

"It's going to be my second official visit to China. I'm always impressed to see big changes and especially innovations made by China and especially the cities. Because a big impression is to see how China continues to maintain and keep its culture. Because I think it's the basis of everything -- to know where you come from and to understand where we are today. I feel that China is doing a lot to maintain its culture, but at the same time, doing, innovating to transform its culture,” Salwai said.

He also emphasized the importance of learning from China's sustainable development strategies.

"Today, it comes from a long way, some hardship, the government, and also the people of China. So, I'm impressed to see what is done, especially how China associates infrastructure development with nature. That's meant to keep, continue to keep the environment. It takes effort with the climate change by maintaining the ecosystem. I think it's something that, for a small country like Vanuatu, is important to learn. So, we are here. I'm here with my delegation to learn," Salwai said.

Vanuatu's PM commends China's cultural preservation, innovation amid fast growth