For Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Bill Gates, the next wave of innovation doesn’t involve a sleeker phone — it replaces it altogether.
Neural Links and Digital Tattoos Elon Musk, the founder of Neuralink, is advancing the concept of brain-computer interfaces, which allow users to communicate with machines using only their thoughts.
These devices, worn directly on the skin, are designed to collect and transmit data through nanosensors.
He predicts that by 2030, these glasses will take over as the primary computing device, replacing the smartphone.
Apple’s Alternate Path While competitors set their sights on revolutionary tech, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, is sticking with what works.
Throughout Silicon Valley, a subtle change has been occurring in recent months. Some of the most influential voices in technology are expressing a vision for the future that does not include the smartphone, which has characterized the digital age for over ten years. According to Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman, the next big thing in technology isn’t a more stylish phone; rather, it’s a complete replacement.
They are all supporting various technologies that have the potential to make smartphones obsolete. Their goals, which range from brain implants to digital tattoos and augmented reality glasses, envision a time when people will interact with technology directly—through their skin, eyes, or even their thoughts—instead of using touchscreens. Not everyone is prepared to accept such a drastic departure from the current situation.
Digital tattoos and neural links.
Neuralink founder Elon Musk is pushing the idea of brain-computer interfaces, which let people talk to machines with just their thoughts. The business claims that implants have already been given to two human subjects. The goal is to completely eliminate the necessity of speaking, swiping, tapping, or even interacting physically with devices. Rather, action would be motivated by thought.
An alternative type of interface is being promoted by Bill Gates. He is supporting Chaotic Moon, a business in Texas that creates electronic tattoos. These skin-contact devices are made to use nanosensors to gather and send data. They can be used for geolocation, communication, and health tracking. Without requiring portable electronics, the tattoos successfully turn the body into a digital platform.
Vision-First Computing. .
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is betting on augmented reality glasses for his future. He believes that by 2030, these glasses will supplant smartphones as the main computing device. The idea is to directly superimpose digital content onto the user’s field of vision.
Transparent displays worn on the face would provide notifications, navigational aids, and communication features in place of looking down at a screen. Zuckerberg’s larger goals in the AR and metaverse space are in line with this approach. Redefining how people interact with the internet and one another is the aim, he has stated, and it involves “stepping beyond screens.”.
Apple’s Other Route.
When rivals aim for cutting-edge technology, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, continues to focus on what works. The iPhone 16, a device that uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence to improve usability while keeping the same familiar form factor, was just released by the company. Cook maintains that smartphones are still essential to daily life, emphasizing improvement over innovation.
Apple’s approach is centered on incremental innovation, which involves enhancing current products while progressively implementing new technologies like AI and AR. Cook’s approach differs from that of his contemporaries in that he sees the smartphone as a fundamental platform to expand upon rather than as something to be replaced. In public statements, Cook has stated that “we’re committed to improving what people already use,” preferring progress to disruption.
