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SEX and romance with machines, a virtual world indistinguishable from reality, sophisticated computer chips implanted under your skin, Westworld-style theme parks where you can murder robots, sports played in space and wild environmental catastrophes.

These are just some of the predictions tech experts and dedicated futurists are heralding for humanity by the middle of this century.

The year 2050 is only 33 years away, but with the ever-accelerating rate of technological innovation and human expansion, some are predicting that we're heading towards a seriously brave new world.

Your work-life, entertainment options, relationships and the transport you take could look very different in a few decades' time.
YOUR BOSS WILL PROBABLY BE A COMPUTER
Without a doubt, the biggest innovation expected to transform our way of life is the growing emergence of artificial intelligence and machine learning, says renowned futurist and digital consultant Chris Riddell.

The ultimate goal (or ultimate concern, depending who you ask) is to build self-improving artificial general intelligence, effectively meaning computers can act like humans but with almost infinite processing power.

Already, machines are proving more capable and reliable than humans in a number tasks such as diagnosing disease and recognising faces.

"You won't have just humans at the top of business by the year 2050," Mr Riddell told news.com.au.

He says any chief executive will likely work alongside a computing system that will help them make decisions.

"People won't report exclusively to humans either by the year 2050."

He believes that employees will no longer perform a single job or task but be required to do an array of different jobs that will be allocated by an intelligent computing system "based on the projects that are going on and skills that you have".
ROBOT LOVE
The rise of machine intelligence will also give way to robot-human relationships - not that everyone is necessarily looking forward to such a scenario.

Earlier this month, cyber security firm Kaspersky Labs produced a report about the world in 2050 packed with a number of radical and dystopian theories.

Among them was the prediction that sex robots will have begun tearing marriages apart by 2050, as men and women opt for a more satisfactory cyborg partner.

The report also projected the emergence of android residents and the possibility of a Westworld-style theme park where guests could "get rid of adrenaline and release their emotions" by, among other things, murdering robots.

The dramatic report received plenty of media attention but was based more on radical sci-fi speculation than solid trends.

However, one thing that's certain is the profound impact artificial intelligence - and the increasingly lifelike robots it produces - will have on society and our interactions by 2050.
CARS BECOME DRONES, AND DRONES BECOME CARS
The anticipation of flying cars has long been a mainstay in any vision of the future but the advent of commercial drone technology could actually make it happen soon.

"We've already seen how driverless technology is picking up rapidly," Mr Riddell said.

Well before 2050 he expects Australian roads to be filled with autonomous cars and eventually any nostalgic car lover who wants to keep their steering wheel will have to pay a highly expensive government license for the privilege.

Shortly after that, he expects we'll take to the sky.

"Personal drones will absolutely be a thing by the year 2050," Mr Riddell said. Already Dubai has made plans to begin using drone taxis to ferry people over the city.

And eventually cars and drones will become one in the same.

"What you'll see eventually is the converging of the two ... you won't be able to separate cars and drones," Mr Riddell said.

We won't own these machines ourselves but rather we will hail them on demand in a Uber-style sharing economy.
NO DISCERNIBLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONLINE AND OFFLINE
The idea of virtual reality has for some time promised to transform the world we live in.

Companies like Google, Microsoft and Facebook have been ramping up their efforts to build virtual and augmented reality systems in recent years - and pretty soon the worlds they create will be indistinguishable from base reality.

"What we're heading to already, very rapidly, is an era where we're augmenting our experiences from digital - from the screen - to our offline real world. And those two are going together rapidly," Mr Riddell said.

"Soon, we won't be able to tell the difference between virtual and true experiences."

One of the major new jobs of the future will be "experience architects" who are able to create tailor-made worlds for us to play in, he said.

"You'll be able to sit and immerse yourself in a 360 degrees football stadium to watch your favourite football match. And you'll actually be able to feel that experience happening around you.

"As time goes on you'll get more and more input, so you'll be able to feel what the weather is like" at the game while sitting in your living room.
WE REALLY NEED TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
By 2050 Australia's population is projected to reach as high at 40 million people, putting added stress on our coastal cities and environment.

New science and tech innovation holds the promise of ushering in a more sustainable way of life but unless Australia replaces fossil fuels with renewable energy, we can expect to experience more severe weather events, says emeritus professor of science at Griffith University Ian Lowe.

He is the former director of the Commission for the Future and was made an Officer of the order of Australia in 2001 for services to science and technology and for contributing to public understanding of environmental issues.

He is concerned population growth and an increase in consumption could have adverse effects on Australia's natural environment, potentially leading to unforeseen problems.

"On current trends there will be approaching 40 million people in Australia by 2050 ... and every government's position is to increase per capita consumption so you'd expect the impact of humans on the natural environment in general, and biodiversity in particular, to be somewhere around double what it is now," he told news.com.au.

"We're losing biodiversity at an alarming rate and we simply don't know what the long term effect of that will be," he said.

"Basically we're pulling random bricks out of the wall of life and we don't know when whole sections will crumble."

As warnings about the need to halt, let alone reverse, the impact of global warming grow louder, Prof Lowe believes we can still shape the future of our environment with good policy decisions.

"There is no one preordained future but a wide range of possible futures and which one happens will be the product of our decisions and actions," he said.

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'We won't tell the difference between virtual and true experiences'

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SEX and romance with machines, a virtual world indistinguishable from reality, sophisticated computer chips implanted under your skin, Westworld-style theme parks where you can murder robots, sports played in space and wild environmental catastrophes. These are just some of the predictions tech experts and dedicated futurists are heralding for humanity by the middle of this century.

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Climate change and rising sea levels resulting from global warming are having a noticeable impact on all the South Pacific islands. Some islanders I have known for more than 30 years tell me the seasons are now unpredictable (it's more likely to rain in the dry season, and vice versa), and the tides are higher than ever (in some places, the lagoons lap directly on dry land at high tide rather than on the beach). Indeed, most islanders don't want to hear any corporate-induced spin about there being no evidence of global warming and its consequences. They know it's true from firsthand experience.

French Polynesia has allowed resort developers to built innumerable bungalows over the lagoons. In fact, manta rays reportedly have disappeared in parts of the Bora Bora lagoon because of the construction. To the islanders beyond Bora Bora, however, their lagoons are not just places where you swim around and look at beautiful corals and sea life; they are major sources of food. Protecting their lagoons and reefs is a matter of survival. Consequently, French Polynesia does have laws protecting its lagoons, reefs, and sea life. You cannot, for example, legally break off a piece of living coral to bring home (a bad idea anyway, since sea life will emit offensive odors as soon as it dies and begins to decay).

For our part, it's up to us visitors to practice sustainable tourism, which means being careful with the environments we explore and respecting the communities we visit.

Two overlapping components of sustainable travel are ecotourism and ethical tourism. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. TIES suggests that ecotourists follow these principles:

Minimize environmental impact.

Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.

Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.

Provide direct financial benefits for conservation and for local people.

Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climates.

Support international human rights and labor agreements.

You can find some eco-friendly travel tips and statistics, as well as touring companies and associations -- listed by destination under "Travel Choice" -- at the TIES website, www.ecotourism.org. Also check out Ecotravel.com, which lets you search for sustainable touring companies in several categories (water-based, land-based, spiritually oriented, and so on).

While much of the focus of ecotourism is about reducing impacts on the natural environment, ethical tourism concentrates on ways to preserve and enhance local economies and communities, regardless of location. You can embrace ethical tourism by staying at a locally owned hotel or shopping at a store that employs local workers and sells locally produced goods.

Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas; the site is run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices, and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.

In the U.K., Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) works to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism. The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) (www.aito.co.uk) is a group of specialist operators leading the field in making holidays sustainable.

Volunteer travel has become increasingly popular among those who want to venture beyond the standard group-tour experience to learn languages, interact with locals, and make a positive difference while on vacation. Volunteer travel usually doesn't require special skills -- just a willingness to work hard -- and programs vary in length from a few days to a number of weeks. Some programs provide free housing and food, but many require volunteers to pay for travel expenses, which can add up quickly.

For general info on volunteer travel, visit www.volunteerabroad.org and www.idealist.org.

Before you commit to a volunteer program, it's important to make sure any money you're giving is truly going back to the local community, and that the work you'll be doing will be a good fit for you. Volunteer International (www.volunteerinternational.org) has a helpful list of questions to ask to determine the intentions and the nature of a volunteer program.
It's Easy Being Green
Here are a few simple ways you can help conserve fuel and energy when you travel:

Each time you take a flight or drive a car, greenhouse gases release into the atmosphere. You can help neutralize this danger to the planet through "carbon offsetting" -- paying someone to invest your money in programs that reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by the same amount you've added. Before buying carbon offset credits, just make sure that you're using a reputable company, one with a proven program that invests in renewable energy. Reliable carbon offset companies include Carbonfund (www.carbonfund.org), TerraPass (www.terrapass.org), and Carbon Neutral (www.carbonneutral.org).

Whenever possible, choose nonstop flights; they generally require less fuel than indirect flights that stop and take off again. Try to fly during the day -- some scientists estimate that nighttime flights are twice as harmful to the environment. And pack light -- each 15 pounds of luggage on a 5,000-mile flight adds up to 50 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted.

Where you stay during your travels can have a major environmental impact. To determine the green credentials of a property, ask about trash disposal and recycling, water conservation, and energy use; also question if sustainable materials were used in the construction of the property. The website www.greenhotels.com recommends green-rated member hotels around the world that fulfill the company's stringent environmental requirements. Also consult www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com for more green accommodations ratings.

At hotels, request that your sheets and towels not be changed daily. (Many hotels already have programs like this in place.) Turn off the lights and air conditioner (or heater) when you leave your room.

Use public transport where possible -- trains, buses, and even taxis are more energy-efficient forms of transport than driving. Even better is to walk or cycle; you'll produce zero emissions and stay fit and healthy on your travels.

If renting a car is necessary, ask the rental agent for a hybrid, or rent the most fuel-efficient car available. You'll use less gas and save money at the tank.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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Climate change and rising sea levels resulting from global warming are having a noticeable impact on all the South Pacific islands. Some islanders I have known for more than 30 years tell me the seasons are now unpredictable (it's more likely to rain in the dry season, and vice versa), and the tides are higher than ever (in some places, the lagoons lap directly on dry land at high tide rather than on the beach).