IBM Predicts Digital Taste Buds, Sense of Smell by 2018

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By Trey Thoelcke Updated Published

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International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) put out its “5 in 5” report, detailing five important features computers will have in five years. The IBM forecast indicates computers could be nearly human by 2018. That means millions of jobs could be lost. Or perhaps computers will just be able to love one another, love humans and pets.

IBM Chief Innovation Officer Bernard Meyerson, who wrote the new analysis listed the advances computer companies will make as they launch new product:

Touch: You will be able to reach out and touch through your phone
Sight: A pixel will be worth a thousand words
Hearing: Computers will hear what matters
Taste: Digital taste buds will help you to eat healthier
Smell: Computers will have a sense of smell

At least readers of the “Next 5 in 5” are allowed to vote their opinions or, of course, in the age of nearly human computers, join the debate on Twitter. #ibm5in5 Free speech is still allowed. At least for now.

Douglas A. McIntyre

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About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.

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