DUBLINERS are divided over how much of an impact robots will have on our future.
According to the result of a fascinating new opinion poll, half (49 per cent) of people think they will merely be a feature of daily life in 2050 while 53 per cent believe Artificial Intelligence will impact on daily life.
Almost two thirds of Dubliners also think that cash will be redundant by the year 2050, according to the findings of the recent survey by business group Dublin Chamber.
The findings were released last week as part of a report entitled ‘A Vision for Dublin 2050’, which looks at how people want Dublin to evolve over the coming decades.
The report is accompanied by a futuristic video which provides a provocative look at what Dublin might be like in the year 2050.
The report and video were launched at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner in Convention Centre Dublin.
The survey included questions about the technologies and advances that they think will change daily life in the coming years.
Some 63 per cent of respondents predict that cash will be a thing of the past in 2050, while three in five (61 per cent) are predicting a paperless society. Opinions are split regarding the likely influence of robots – 49 per cent of people think they will be a feature of daily life in 2050 while 53 per cent believe Artificial Intelligence will impact on daily life.
The 2050 report is based on responses to Dublin Chamber’s Great Dublin Survey, an online poll that was carried out between April and August and answered by more than 20,000 people, and a representative survey of 500 Dubliners carried out by Amarach Research.
Dublin Chamber CEO Mary Rose Burke said: “The aim of The Great Dublin Survey was to capture the ideas, hopes, wants and aspirations of not just the people of Dublin, but also all those who feel a connection or who have an interest in the city’s future.”
The Chamber’s Vision for 2050 report also pinpoints how people would like to live in the future.
The results show that the preference of home ownership is unlikely to dissipate, with four in five stating a wish to own their home. In comparison, three out of 10 said they’d be content to rent their home.
When it comes to meeting the city’s accommodation needs, the majority of people want to see Dublin build up in the coming years.
A totl of 58 per cent of respondents said they agree that taller buildings would be a good thing in Dublin.
The survey throws up some interesting findings regarding Dublin’s cleanliness with more people stating that they think the city is ‘dirty’ versus ‘clean’.
Just one in five respondents said they perceive Dublin to be clean, while two in five said they view Dublin as dirty.
Respondents were also asked about who they believe will be the biggest influencers on life in 2050
Two in five (40 per cent) of people believe that the European Union will have a bigger influence on life in 2050, while just 20 per cent believe that the Irish Government will have an increased sway.
The role of religion is expected to fall – more than two thirds of people (68 per cent) said they expect the influence of religion to drop between now and 2050.
Ms Burke said: “There has never been a more important time to talk about Dublin’s future.
“As the capital of Ireland, and the powerhouse of the national economy, it is vital for everyone that Dublin works.
“Our aim in establishing this initiative was to explore the need for better long-term planning in the Dublin region.
“When it comes to quality of life, Dublin currently sits outside the top 30 cities in the world.
“That’s not good enough. Dublin Chamber wants to see the capital rise up those rankings and challenge the world's best cities for the standard of living that they offer.”
Ms Burke added: “What will Dublin be like in the year 2050? The answer will depend on the decisions that we make from today onwards.
“The underlying sentiment that comes through in the answers to our survey is that people want, above all, the simple things in life.
“They want somewhere welcoming to live, at a reasonable location from where they work.
“They want good public transport and clean urban spaces. They want to spend more time with their family and at leisure, and spend less time in traffic.
“We have a long way to go. But it’s clear who the people are that can make this vision a reality.
“It is the business community. It is the national and local politicians. It is the civic and public servants. It is the citizens of Dublin and Ireland.”
The full report is available online. You can watch the video here.
