Dr. James Canton.

Dr. James Canton, CEO of the Institute for Global Futures, a leading think tank, is a futurist, social scientist, global technology forecaster and the author of Future Smart.

My forecast for the future of warfare is based on five key exponential technologies that will transform the future of our world over the next 50 to 100 years. Super smart, high velocity, connected, data-rich, fully autonomous tech is coming. Every tech will be dual use--for medicine, learning and entertainment as well as security, defense and warfare. The "Big Five Future Techs" are: nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at the atomic level; biosciences--new drugs and devices for life sciences; the internet, network and computing tech; neuro-science, which is about understanding the brain, creating systems that mimic artificial intelligence; and finally quantum. Quantum computing is the application of quantum mechanics and the manipulation of time and space.

The convergence of these five technologies is going to shape the future of our civilization and shape the future of war. Get ready for smart, agile, self-aware even sentient tech which is coming sooner than most realize.

The power and impact of these technologies should expand the definition of the multi-domain future environment. Along with land, sea, air, space and cyber, we should add the neuroscience domain. The brain may be the ultimate battleground. From fake news and Al-generated persons to neuro wars.

By or before 2030 we will see AI autonomy emerge. Autonomous self-learning AIs will become routine in life, work and especially defense. Wars may be won or lost, started or ended by artificial intelligence.

AI will enhance human understanding, prediction and deterrence of conflict. Humans are not going to be able to compete at the levels of fast bandwidth billions of yottabytes and super agility as AI will do. When quantum AI emerges this will accelerate immense processing speed and thinking by over 1 million X from the current paradigm of computing.

When you add this capacity of rapid faster-than-human processing to creating self-morphing nanomaterials and the use of synthetic DNA for drones, tanks or robots, you'refusing several technologies: nano, bio, neuro, AI and quantum. A new generation of convergent systems will redefine defense--even make war irrelevant.

This tech convergence will deter conflict and enhance global security. Al-driven armies, ships, planes and virtual AI bots will dominate...