Here I am headed to the 2122 Formula 1 Race around downtown. You probably wonder how I am writing this and driving simultaneously; both are amusing questions. All public transportation has been self-driving for the last 20 years. Taxi drivers only race competitively in the Jamaica Robot Olympics. It is funny; taxis are driven by robots now. We still write with keyboards; they are holographic and only have 10 buttons. Trust me; it’s easier than the big ones you used. It’s an exciting day for me; the first time Formula 1 will be racing in Kingston. It makes perfect sense, the Government’s work making it the art and cultural centre of Jamaica, especially since they installed a floating island on the pier that does tours around the coastline. It’s the weekend for me, a beautiful Thursday. We have four-day weekends; depending on your profession, you choose the weekdays that fit your lifestyle.

As the self-driving car takes me to my destination, I smirk, looking at all the multicoloured roofs and windows on houses and stores; very artistic, but most people forget those are solar panels generating free electricity. We haven’t had a blackout in 50 years; it’s like the stories my great-grandparents told about potholes; I can’t believe you had holes in the middle of the road; it sounds like a myth.

I decide to check the hourly updates on my insight device; it projects information to me as a hologram in mid-air, it’s like using your smartphone, but it uses a quantum computer. Imagine if you had every computer on earth helping you organise your life. My device says it will rain in 45 mins, my jacket converts into a raincoat, and I paid extra for the portable AC function; climate change has made summers hot like a furnace. The next update shows a new star DJ; he has been trending for a week, which hasn’t happened in five years. Jamaica’s creative industry is the most competitive in the world. We have creator schools that train DJs, dancers, verbs (a young person’s TikTok), sculptures, and any skill that can get brand engagement. People from around the world come to Jamaica to perfect their talents from as young as five. The schools have produced the best singers, dancers, directors, and cinematographers globally. In the next update, I see a first-person view of Usain Bolt Jr becoming the fastest human in history, completing the 100m in 8.67s. He was trained at the prestigious Bolt Sports Academy; what did anyone expect?

Wait, I see a projection in the sky; the public protection agency uses drones and holograms to report on time-sensitive events. It’s a good news alert, a child went missing this morning but was found by our HumanAI public protection programme. It utilises public monitoring and a safety app to solve crimes quickly and, in some cases, predict incidents before they happen. There were many privacy concerns, and people thought it would be like that old movie Minority Report; the Government monitoring our every move. Jamaica has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. We found a way of using a monitoring system without infringing on our privacy. It wasn’t easy, but a substantial collaborative effort of technology, the Government and independent oversight.

How rude I haven’t introduced myself; my name is Harry. I am a third-generation farmer; it’s one of the highest paying jobs today. In 2122, farming looks a little different from what you are used to, I still get my hands in the dirt, but I also code, develop robots, and utilise augmented reality and machine learning to maximise crop production. Food security is one of the biggest concerns due to climate change. The frequent wars in the East in the last 100 years have made the local agricultural industry a risk mitigator against uncertainties in the environment and the global economy.

Since the Government made education up to Master’s free and financed research programmes, there was a surge of innovation across all sectors. Over 70 per cent of the population has a Master’s degree, which led to a cure for cancer found in a bush in Little London and a new environmentally friendly fuel source made from that bushy stuff (old man’s beard) that grew on power lines. By the way, we transfer electricity without those ugly lines affecting our view of nature.

Did I mention we have a Jamaican Space Force? That is planning a colony on the Moon in 20 years, and our satellites give us two weeks’ early warning to prep for hurricanes. It’s become a tourist event; we use giant offshore turbines to collect the wave energy year-round. But when there’s a hurricane alert, they launch big tetrahedral wave machines to collect less than five per cent of the hurricane’s power, which seems small, but that’s enough to power thousands of houses for a month. I paid attention in my kindergarten alternative energy class.

Well, I am almost there, ready for the roaring engines. Thank you, 2022 Jamaicans, for embracing the future and advancing the welfare of the whole human race. Until next time. Stay Innovative, Jamaica!

Adrian Dunkley is president of the Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance, and founder of StarApple AI. Send your feedback to marketing@jtda.org.