r/accelerate • u/dental_danylle • 4d ago

Discussion What everyday technology do you think will disappear completely within the next 20 years?

Tech shifts often feel gradual, but then suddenly something just vanishes. Fax machines, landlines, VHS tapes — all were normal and then gone.

Looking ahead 20 years, what’s around us now that you think will completely disappear? Cars as we know them? Physical cash? Plastic credit cards? Traditional universities?

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u/Ruykiru Tech Philosopher 4d ago edited 2d ago

Nothing truly disappears once invented  and someone will find an use for all tech anyway.

If you're talking about mostly disappearing, go look at things that a general purpose tech will do better than the last. Internet search->AI search for example, or cars->autonomous cars. But you don't really fully "uninvent" the concept or thing; as far as I know horses are still kicking around.