The Inevitable: 8 key ideas
The core ideas of The Inevitable, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.
- IDEA 1 OF 8
Technology follows deep trends
Kelly argues that certain technological forces are so strong they will shape the next decades regardless of specific products.
He describes twelve such trends, each named with a verb. Each trend builds on the others.
- IDEA 2 OF 8
Everything is always becoming
Kelly argues that technology never settles into a finished state.
Products and services are constantly upgraded, so we are always beginners. Learning never ends, because the next version is always arriving and the old one never feels final.
- IDEA 3 OF 8
Intelligence is added to everything
Kelly describes cognifying, adding artificial intelligence to ordinary objects and services.
He compares it to how electricity was added to everything. Just as the grid quietly powered every machine, intelligence will quietly improve many everyday things.
- IDEA 4 OF 8
Information flows constantly
Kelly describes flowing, the shift from fixed copies to streams of data that update in real time.
Music, films and news now flow. Nothing stays finished, because the content is always being updated.
- IDEA 5 OF 8
Screens are everywhere
Kelly describes screening, the move from reading books to reading screens.
Screens invite interaction rather than passive reading. Text is no longer still on a page, and words can be searched, linked and changed.
- IDEA 6 OF 8
Access replaces ownership
Kelly argues that people increasingly rent or subscribe rather than own.
Access to services is becoming more important than possession. Kelly says we use more and more things through services instead of keeping them ourselves.
- IDEA 7 OF 8
Sharing grows
Kelly describes how people share more online, from information to possessions.
Collaboration is becoming easier. Tools for sharing make it easier to work with strangers and build on each other's efforts. Kelly sees this as a strong and growing trend.
- IDEA 8 OF 8
Filtering and remixing rise
Kelly argues that with so much content, filtering becomes essential.
People also remix existing works into new creations. In a sea of choices, those who can pick well and combine pieces cleverly provide real value.
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