• Question: What would be the end product of computer science? Like we all have flying cars and hoverboards, back to the future style? Thinking like the big thing that makes the technological ecosystem complete. No competitive market, no further advancements to be made. If anything, it would probably be like a thousand years from now, but do you think it would ever happen?

    Asked by legolouie on 11 Sep 2025.
    • Photo: Arshia Keshvari

      Arshia Keshvari answered on 11 Sep 2025:

      This is a fascinating question, and I don’t think there’s ever a single “end product.” Technology will keep evolving, with breakthroughs we can barely imagine today, brain computer interfaces so seamless you don’t notice them, or AI systems that handle everyday tasks so people can focus on what inspires them. Yet there will always be something new to explore. Even if we achieve flying cars or off-world colonies, we’ll still crave faster, safer, more capable tools.

      Computer Science like Electrical and Electronics Engineering never truly finishes; it grows alongside us, and, like everything in life, we have to adapt with it whether that’s today or a thousand years from now. A good example is the spread of electricity: many feared massive job losses, but it spawned entire industries, lighting, appliances, power grids, that no one foresaw. AI, robotics, and even brain computer interfaces will likely follow a similar pattern, creating opportunities and challenges we can’t yet name. And some of those challenges will remain profoundly human, problems no machine, not even a highly advanced AGI, can fully understand.

      We are living in both the best and the worst of times, an era of breathtaking possibility and daunting challenge. Yet the true measure of this moment isn’t the extremes themselves, but what we choose to make of them. Our perspective, our creativity, and our willingness to act determine whether these years become a story of hope or of regret.

    • Photo: Uzair Abdullah

      Uzair Abdullah answered on 11 Sep 2025:

      That’s a brilliant “big picture” question. In reality, computer science doesn’t really have a final end product, because technology keeps evolving as our needs and imaginations change. But if you imagine a “complete” future, it might look like a world where computing becomes invisible and perfectly integrated into everything, AI that understands us as well as we understand ourselves, quantum computers solving problems instantly, and technology managing energy, health, and resources so smoothly that we barely notice it. Flying cars and hoverboards could be part of it, but the bigger idea would be a kind of seamless digital ecosystem where humans and machines work together effortlessly. Whether that’s a thousand years away or never fully possible, the journey of discovery is really what drives computer science forward.

Comments

  • Photo: Steve

    Steve commented on :

    There’s a difference between what is possible and what is likely. For instance, flying cars could have been around for the last 50 years or more, but the problems around regulation, cost and safety have held them back. Just look at the debates around e-scooters! The future will be a combination of what is free and publicly available due to the monetisation of your data and what you can afford to pay for. Just like libraries help everyone have access to literature, the government may need to provide equal access to those who cannot afford premium services and content. Other than that, just about anything is possible…

  • Photo: aureliabrzezowska

    aureliabrzezowska commented on :

    In my opinion there will never be one as its in human nature to always have a problem that you need to solve and this is where technology comes in to save the day. In a perfect world, people may still find faults in the smallest of things! It’s hard to think beyond robots that take care of people but in my eyes, any medicine that tech can solve, is a great endpoint.