Ask ChatGPT
I asked ChatGPT about the most important technology trends over the next five years. Its response was pretty impressive (in about 45 seconds).

ChatGPT’s Answer
“It’s difficult to predict with certainty what the most important technology trends will be over the next five years, as the technology landscape can change rapidly. However, some technology trends that have gained significant traction in recent years and are likely to continue to be important in the near future include:

1.  Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML): AI and ML technologies are being increasingly adopted across a wide range of industries, and are likely to become even more prevalent in the coming years.
2. Cloud computing: Cloud computing allows businesses and organizations to access computing resources and data storage over the internet, rather than having to maintain their own physical infrastructure. This trend is expected to continue to grow as more and more organizations move their operations to the cloud.
3. Internet of Things (IoT): The IoT refers to the growing network of internet-connected devices that can collect and exchange data. This technology is likely to become even more widespread in the coming years, as more and more devices are connected to the internet.
4. 5G: 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology and is expected to bring significant improvements in terms of speed, capacity, and low latency. It is likely to become more widely available in the coming years and will enable a range of new applications and technologies.
5. Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR): VR and AR technologies are being used in a variety of applications, including gaming, education, and training. As these technologies continue to mature, they are likely to become more widespread and find new applications.”

Strengths and Weaknesses
The strength of ChatGPT’s response was the literate and well-written reply that I got from my question. The response was also accurate. There were no glaring errors or misconceptions. However, ChatGPT’s answer was also pretty much stock information. The five categories of technology innovation would probably be on almost anybody’s list. Areas that were missed include quantum computing, blockchain, security (such as zero trust), and graph databases. Overall, the response was well written but basic.

The Future of ChatGPT
Beyond the obvious expected continued improvement in the capabilities of ChatGPT there is considerable discussion of various use cases that ChatGPT could enable. The first is a Google search killer. Why hunt through the various websites listed as the result of a Google search? Just ask ChatGPT. Clearly, Google could develop its own version of ChatGPT. But if people aren’t going to the websites supplied by Google in its searches, why would people owning those websites pay Google advertising money? Google can replicate the ChatGPT functionality, but can it maintain its business model with that new functionality? Another possible use for Chat GPT is as a software developer or, at least, a coding assistant. ChatGPT can understand code, write code and help developers debug their code. One can easily imagine a day in the near future when ChatGPT functions as a pair programmer for a human programmer.