Technological advances have always been a force of nature in human history. Humans can’t sit idle. We are always consciously or subconsciously making stuff as our hands are extensions of our brain. Innovations set us apart from the other four legged animals.
Amazon is a good example on how a matured Internet has changed our lifestyle. Apple is another example on how mobile has sped up our way of living.
Virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and robotics collectively are going to be a much bigger deal than the internet and mobile combined. These four themes will drastically change how we interact and work.
The World Economic Forum projects more than 5 million jobs in 15 leading countries will be lost by 2020, thanks to disruptive labor market changes, including the increased use of robots.
Additionally, according to a 2013 Oxford study, 47 percent of U.S. jobs were at risk of being automated in the next two decades.
Without doubt, these new waves of technology will be here. Will they make investors money? Will the sector crash and burn like a dotcom bubble before it can make investors money like Amazon and Apple?
Be aware of the investing traps of new technology. Warren Buffett famously said that he never invested in technology or business that he couldn’t understand. These new waves of the technology will be enticing but difficult to understand, to say the least.