Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

A futurist weighs in on 2016

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

A virtual reality display in Boston in 2015
Samsung showed off their virtual reality technology during a Team USA event in Boston, Mass., last year.
Scott Eisen | Getty Images for Samsung

Cecily Sommers is a futurist — that means she analyzes global trends and advises on how they may impact people's daily lives. To kick off 2016, Sommers spoke with MPR News host Tom Weber about what to expect in the coming year.

"Will my life be hugely different? No. Will yours? Probably not," she said. But everything from retail to robots will be changing. Be on the lookout for virtual reality.

"Retail in the next two years or so is going to have a lot of virtual reality, augmented reality, embedded into it. It's going to start to become a bigger part of our lives," Sommers said.

And don't dismiss Mark Zuckerberg's 2016 resolution to build his very own robot butler. It may seem like "The Jetsons" dream finally fulfilled, but it's rooted in real technology.

"Robots are coming into our lives," Sommers said.

The recent investments in renewable energy are also a sign of what's next.

"One of the bigger trends that I see, overall, it's technology companies like Google and Amazon and Facebook and the rest who are making massive investments in renewable energies to power their big server farms." These investments at the corporate level could change individuals' access to similar technology.

In the face of new scientific developments and product designs, Sommer said the concerns over geopolitical relations remain.

"The thing that never changes, that's constant over time — always has been, always will be — is human nature. We're still going to have the same problems, but we're just going to have new tools to solve them with. That's what technology is: a new set of tools to address the needs of our lives."