Technological changes have revolutionised the classroom and curricula across schools in Europe. In 2025, artificial intelligence has significantly changed education at all levels. Changes implemented in schools are now moving outside the classroom. Companies are advertising new employment opportunities, tailored to the new curricula. Currently, the changes in education in the last seven years can be categorised into four types:
The instruments of warfare – weapons with projectiles – were well known before the Internet, but ineffective in cyberspace. The pre-Internet soldiers were trained and wore uniforms. Today’s warrior could take down an energy grid from her bedroom – without firing a shot – simply by pressing some keys on her laptop. If a bomber from one country dropped a bomb on another’s country nuclear power plant, it would likely provoke an outbreak of physical war.
In the year 2025, self-driving vehicles can be used in most European cities. Over the past few years, technology has come a long way and safety levels have been consistently better than human driver error for some time. Those who can afford SDVs are usually the cool, trendy, tech types who use the SDV as an extension of the personal work/life space where one can work, sleep, read, eat, watch movies or TV, or just observe their surroundings.
In the year 2025, such technologies are becoming commonplace. With an ageing population, European governments are finding it increasingly challenging to provide social services and assisted living facilities to all those in need. The situation is becoming harder for those whose partner dies. The following scenario has been designed around this vignette.
In 2025, the financial crisis has meant that the police have had to do more with less. In most Chinese cities, facial recognition on CCTV is now standard. With other means of societal surveillance, such as biometrics on public transport and the universal Social Credit System that tracks bank records and voice recognition ATMs, many see China as having become the archetypal “surveillance state”.