IBM: Mind Reading Is Just Five Years Away

Given the technological advancements that have occurred in the last five years, it's not difficult to imagine that life in 2016 will bring a wealth of gadgets and capabilities currently only available in sci-fi movies.

With its annual IBM 5 in 5, the legendary tech company makes predictions about the technologies that will be commonplace in the next five years. Will rise up against us? Not exactly, but in a list released today, IBM predicted advances in self-produced energy, passwords, biometric data, the digital divide, and junk mail.

1. People Power Will Come to Life
Was that electric bill a little high last month? How about producing your own energy?

"Anything that moves has the potential to create energy," IBM distinguished engineer Harry Kolar wrote in a blog post. "In the next five years, advances in renewable energy technology could make it possible for us to draw on power generated by everything from our running shoes to the ocean's waves."

How about charging your cell phone by inserting a small device with an antenna into the sole of your shoe? Or adding a device to the spokes of your bicycle to collect energy that's transmitted to your kitchen appliances? On a bigger scale, Kolar predicted harnessing the power of the ocean. But there are environmental concerns given that "devices that collect and convert wave and tidal energy generate noise underwater that can affect marine life," he said.

As a result, Kolar's team is currently working with The Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland to track potential marine life disruption.

2. You Will Never Need a Password Again
We've all had the occasional brain fart when it comes to remembering passwords. What if access to your email, bank account, or home was available via an eye scan or via your voice? In the next five years, your "biological makeup" will serve as your password, IBM said. Walk up to an ATM and speak your name or look into the camera to gain access to your cash. There have been experiments with biometric data, of course, but at this point, retina scans and voice-activated technologies are primarily confined to those with high-level security needs or the movies.

3. Mind Reading Is No Longer Science Fiction
Pretty soon, we won't ever have to move. Just lie on your couch and think about calling someone or ordering a pizza and it will just happen. IBM has higher-minded notions of what mind-reading technology can do, of course, like studying autism. But like IBM's "Just Think" logo, the company predicted the ability to link your device to your thoughts, which could either be very cool or very scary.

4. The Digital Divide Will Cease to Exist
Much has been made about the digital divide; without access to the Web, people will fall beyond their tech-savvy counterparts to become the digital have nots. In five years, however, IBM predicted that there will be no digital divide thanks to accessible mobile technology. By that point, 80 percent of the population will have a mobile device. In third-world countries, that means residents can use their phone to look at weather reports for farming purposes or contact nearby doctors, among other things.

5. Junk Mail Will Become Priority Mail
At this point, unsolicited ads have a zero to 5 percent click-through rate, IBM said, but in the future, targeted ads will turn junk mail into "priority mail." Systems will be able to filter and find the data that's important to you—like concert tickets for your favorite band or a snowy weather prediction for a time you have a scheduled flight. "Big Data in context is one of the most significant trends in the information technology field," Jeff Jonas, IBM's distinguished engineer and the software group's chief scientist of entity analytics, wrote in a blog post. We've already seen the emergence of such technology via search engines like Google, but those advances have also prompted security concerns.

IBM admitted that it is taking a leap in making such major predictions. "In addition to the PR value, we complete this exercise annually because it makes IBMers think hard about what's possible and to strive to make it so," the company said. "Simply put, the process of choosing the predictions and defending them is good for us."

Previous predictions that have panned out include having a "crystal ball" for your health information via genetic testing and the voice-recognition technology.

Have a favorite prediction? Click "Like" under the video for each technology to select a winner.

In June, IBM celebrated its 100th birthday. For more, see .