I came across an interesting idea recently, called the tetrad concept, from a book called "The Global Village" by Marshall Macluhan. Here's a link to quick explanation:
http://www.anthonyhempell.com/papers/tetrad/concept.html
Macluhan's idea is that every artifact (or technology) goes though four phases, or produces four effects:
- it enhances something
- it obsolesces something
- it brings back something that was obsolete
- and lastly, when pushed to it's limits it produces it opposite.
Money is a typical example used to explain the tetrad concept. It enhances speed of transaction, obsolesces barter, brings back excessive consumption, and pushed to its limits becomes electronic transfer and credit, or non-money.
Or at least that's how this example is typically given. I'm not sure excessive consumption has ever been obsolete in human history, so I'm not sure how it could have been brought back. And in general I find the third dynamic of the tetrad, bringing back something that was obsolete, to be the most difficult to apply.
But if you want a picture of what lies ahead for any technology, the tetrad concept is a good place to start.
