Alex Fuss, lead researcher on CSC's Digital Disruptions report*, unveils his predictions for the future How will IT change?

Information will become more transparent. I envision something like a software RFID-like tag for securities that allows the world at large to track every detail of what is going on in the financial markets, in the same manner that Wal-Mart tracks products from initial order to production, sale and re-stock.

What will business IT look like in 2013?

Social power will enable businesses to solve problems faster and more effectively using corporate social networks. They will use them to open up questions to a wider audience and tap their collective wisdom. Super-collaborative skills will also become paramount in the workforce.

What will be new in public sector IT in 2013?

We'll see more relative unknowns elected, harnessing the power of the net. Unquestionably, the US presidential candidates had to embrace the digital disruption presented by online new media or risk falling behind in raising money and getting their messages out, as well as risk being deemed out of touch with increasingly tech-savvy constituencies.

How will individuals use IT in 2013?

New technology will enable us to record all aspects of our lives, providing evidence of work performed, interactions, demonstrations, prototypes, experiments, conversations and so on. That's happening now: a guy from MIT has been wearing special glasses and recording his life for 20 years.

What will business IT look like after 2013?

Employers will eventually be able to tap employees' brain waves to determine fatigue or even what they are focusing on. There'll be a lot of fatigue because we'll see more information overload than clean new models. But eventually there'll be technology that helps humans understand data faster. One day, ideas could even be downloaded to the human brain.

What about the public sector beyond 2013?

There will be more public-sector monitoring of people's lives beyond 2013. I don't think you can stop technology being used for this but some people think if you made the information available to everyone it would take away the Big Brother element.

How will IT be used by individuals beyond 2013?

We will be able to print out toys, parts, furniture, designs and more from the net using three-dimensional printers. Today 3D printers cost $20,000 and can only print prototypes. But maybe beyond 2013 you'll actually be able to print a pair of sneakers in your size.

What will happen to privacy?

There will be no more lies. You'll still be able to have secrets but only if you can keep them off the net. Privacy will be available but only to those who can afford to pay for it. For most people, privacy will end in 2013, or a little beyond that.

And entertainment?

Traditional AM/FM radio will become obsolete, as software-defined and cognitive radio will enable new devices that can negotiate all spectrums on-the-fly as needed. The end result will be a much wider choice of channels - and people broadcasting to a select group of friends.

How important will interactivity be?

Consumers want "lean forward" experiences. Today at big sports fixtures, some channels let viewers choose the camera angles they want to view from. The consumer does not want to be in a passive lean back experience.

How will we know if anyone is paying attention?

Multi-tasking will increase and no one will focus on anything 100 per cent. This will lead to a "return on attention" metric to measure the success of TV programmes, adverts and other initiatives.

Will data be secure?

Quantum computing will shatter current encryption techniques, jeopardising anything that relies on encryption, such as credit card transactions, and requiring new approaches to information security. Using an electron spin as opposed to an electron charge in quantum computing would mean all the cryptography we have today would have to be rethought.

What will happen in 2050 and beyond?

From 2025 to 2050 and beyond, nanotechnology will give us the capability to create anything, molecule by molecule, atom by atom. The technology is at very early stages but it is definitely going to happen. For example, it will be possible to create a piece of wood. But self-replication is crucial, otherwise the technology won't scale up. What's needed is nano parts that self-assemble - that way you can mass-produce anything. * http://www.csc.com/ee/lef