Goal 9: Vision of Society in 2050 (Illustration)
What will society look like in 2050?
An illustrated guide on what society might look like in 2050 if Goal 9 is realized
Understand your mental state and be able to shift to your desired state of mind. Receive mental support to facilitate communication with others.
Just as we assess our own physical states today, in future the technology to assess our own mental states will become more prevalent. New technologies based on scientific findings will make it possible to visualize our state of mind and understand it more deeply. Technologies for transitioning our mind towards a desired state will also be available for individuals to use if they choose to.
Cross-disciplinary research will clarify the relationship between daily activities, such as conversations, music, art, sports, meditation etc., and mental states. Technologies will be developed to help users achieve peace of mind and vitality according to their own individual characteristics, and support smooth communication with others.
This will enable people to empathize with each other across age, culture, value, and language barriers, leading to the realization of groups and societies more tolerant of each other. Though these types of technology will require a large amount of data about humans in general as well as a user’s personal information, such data will be managed by individuals and used only with their consent.
Technology to support smooth communication with others will also be realized.
Detailed psychological support tailored to each individual's state of mind will be enriched
The visualization of brain and mental status will advance dramatically. This will make it possible to provide mental support tailored to each individual's state of mind. For example, by comprehensively analyzing the state of stress and fatigue while considering individual differences in personality and preferences, it will be possible to provide experiences that promote a relaxed state and training to help people feel positive.
The quality of support is constantly improved by using traditional wisdom and dialogue with people.
The vast amount of traditional wisdom accumulated in religious and philosophical texts will be unpacked and used as digital data. What does human happiness look like? What kind of technology would make humans happy? The quality of mental support will be improved through constant dialogue between the R&D staff and other stakeholders, including experiences in nature and interactions with animals.
‘Mental support technology’ that can bring your mind closer to a desired state.
Rather than a society where members have negative mental states, difficulty communicating with others, and are readily isolated, it will be a society in which all people can live a life worth living. Individuals will themselves decide whether to use technology to transform their own mental states, and will never control or be controlled by others.
Contact
Goal 9 Secretariat
Department of Moonshot Research and Development Program, Japan Science and Technology Agency
e-mail moonshot-goal9
jst.go.jp