The Rise of Transhumanity

## The 2020s

* Smart and capable semi-conscious virtual agents, companions, and even employees, for home, work, and play are developed. These agents are often capable of passing the Turing Test, but are nevertheless not fully self-aware.

### 2020

* **November 3:** Joe Biden is elected as the 46th United States president.

### 2021

* **January 20:** President Biden's mandate starts.
* **July:** The human-like language model GPT-4 is released. It uses 1.5 trillion parameters.
* An effective vaccine for COVID-19 is developed. The pandemic officially ends in the same year.

### 2023

* A project to map the genome of all species on Earth before they are extinct starts.
* One of the earliest extrasolar double planets - Bill and Bull, are discovered around Delta Eridani by a research team from Uppsala Astronomical Observatory.

### 2024

* Household consumer robotics and virtual reality enter the mainstream.

### 2025

* Neuroscience makes headway into simulating complex neural networks from animals. At the same time AI science improves allowing for more sophisticated smartware. Both fields still need many decades of development before they can produce fully digital intelligence.
* Laser weapons are first used in warfare.

### 2026

* After years of stagnation, OpenAI finally creates GPT-5. It cannot be differentiated from a human. Many issues arise from that.
* DNA sequencing becomes cheap enough that some companies (particularly insurance) begin discriminating against their customers and employees on the basis of their genetics. Many nations outlaw this practice, others do not.

### 2027

* In the spirit of optimism NASA, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and European Space Agencies and a consortium of private corporations begin work on the astonishingly expensive international Mars Mission Profile.
* Personal Virtual Reality media interfaces begin to take a market share from TV, films, and other media.

### 2028

* The first commercially available microscale robots are released. Nanoscale component manufacture is in widespread use.
* Regenerative medicine products and artificial body parts increasingly play a role in healthcare. Routine replacement of some organs possible.

### 2029

* Multiple teleoperated robots (often called "telenauts") of various designs are deployed on International Space Station and in orbit in several capacities. The use of teleoperation greatly reduces costs and increases the scale and range of missions that can be "safely" undertaken.

## The 2030s

* Genetic modification of humans becomes increasingly accepted by the public, despite of the cultural resistance in previous decades.

### 2032

* OpenAI develops the first human-equivalent artificial general intelligence. Debates arise about whether it is truly conscious or not.
* First minor optional human genome improvements become available. The techniques are widely controversial and heavily regulated (even banned) in most nations. Whilst certain improvements in health are possible, many of those changes, selected by correlation to desired traits, have little to no effect. In addition, the risk of miscarriages or cancer through genetic damage remains low but significant. Despite the downsides, "black clinics" (often employing questionable quality control procedures) flourish in some parts of the world, offering illegal embryonic enhancements.
* Orbital Internet is created to allow high bandwidth, high-reliability communication between and among the surface and orbital installations and craft. In particular, the Net allows greatly expanded use of telepresence systems in space.

### 2033

* Autonomous cars now represent a significant percentage of car ownership. Some nations introduce policies favoring them over manual cars.
* The European Union creates an artificial island that allows unregulated scientific research. Many controversies arise around it.

### 2035

* Commercial self-contained autonomous robot systems (homebots) with generalist capabilities become available.
* Orbital Internet is expanded to the moon using a series of satellites in Lunar orbit and receiver/repeaters landed around location of first planned installation. Teleoperated robots and fully autonomous robots (with limited functions) begin lunar development.

### 2036

* Individual countries become less relevant and plurinational unions gain more power. The most significant example of this phenomenon is the European Union, which changes its name to the European Federation this year. Although it is not officially a country, it is often treated as so.

### 2037

* The most sophisticated cybernetic mobile life support systems yet seen are demonstrated. The first users are remembered as the first successful complete cyborgs.
* The first Mars mission is launched.
* Onset of the so-called "Robot Revolution" as increasingly sophisticated visual recognition and motor control software leads to a proliferation of custom and generalist robots. Human employment in physical labor begins a steep decline leading to economic and social unrest in countries that do not have policies to cushion the blow.
* The first attempts at holovision are made, with the help of optical phased arrays.

### 2038

* *Discovery* and *Endeavor* reach Mars, establishing the first Martian colony. Teleoperated robots play a role in exploring various areas of the planet and are used exclusively to explore both moons.
* The first "permanent" telenaut operated base begins construction on the Moon. The base is entirely designed to be operated by telepresence and has no accommodations for biological (biont) inhabitants or visitors.