The future is arriving faster than expected. From smart homes to personalized healthcare, a wave of innovation is reshaping how we live, work, and even heal. For much of the last decade, the surge in innovation has been thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), which is currently being integrated across various industries. According to IBM, businesses are leveraging AI to streamline operations and gain deeper data-driven insights. Key areas where AI is actively being deployed include IT operations, customer service, healthcare, human resources, and finance.
Before we know it, everything that we use on a daily basis— from physical keys to credit cards and even our eyeglasses may be gone due to AI’s dominance across the world. Here are eight things that could become relics of the past in the not-so-distant future, as technology continues to advance.
1. Eyeglasses
With rapid progress in gene editing, laser eye surgery, and retinal regeneration, vision correction could become a thing of the past. Add in emerging biotech solutions that prevent or reverse common eye issues, and you may never need to ask,“Where’d I leave my glasses?” again predicted Forbes writer Eli Amdur, in a 2024 article.
Now, to be clear, we won’t be ditching our eyewear anytime soon, as it will take years before we perfect the right algorithm to truly reverse poor eyesight. But AI is being used in healthcare to enhance vision correction as we speak.
AI is transforming laser eye surgery — especially LASIK — by taking precision and personalization to the next level, according to TLC Vision. With the ability to process and learn from massive amounts of data, AI helps create highly customized treatment plans, anticipate outcomes more accurately, and even assist surgeons in real time during the procedure. The result? Safer surgeries, faster recoveries, and better vision correction than ever before.
According to OptiCare, one of the most exciting and user-friendly applications of AI in eyewear is virtual try-on technology. Using augmented reality (AR), users can see how different glasses look on their face in real time through a smartphone or computer camera — no in-store visit required.
But the innovation doesn’t stop there. While traditional lenses rely on fixed measurements, AI is paving the way for smart, adaptive lenses. These advanced lenses can automatically adjust their prescription throughout the day based on lighting conditions or the user’s visual needs. By analyzing eye movements and focusing patterns, AI algorithms can fine-tune vision in real time for optimal clarity.
Even more impressively, AI-powered lenses are being developed to support people with specific visual impairments, offering personalized solutions that go beyond standard prescriptions — all tailored to how they see the world.
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