The Ecosystem Economy

3The Exhilarating Path Ahead: How the Uncertain Future Will Shape the Evolution of Ecosystems

Imagine an ordinary day several decades from now. You wake up to the sound of birds chirping and slowly ease into the morning, looking around the dark room. You saunter into the bathroom to relieve yourself. As you go to wash your hands, though, your smart home sends an alert to your bathroom mirror: the toilet automatically tested your urine and determined that your sodium levels are still too high. This has been going on for more than a week now. Last week, when the sensors in your toilet first noticed the increase, the artificial intelligence (AI) program that manages your grocery-delivery service automatically edited your order for the week, substituting low-sodium alternatives. Meanwhile, the cluster of devices that measure and record your vital signs—from a watch that measures your heart rate and temperature to a tiny subdermal sensor in your arm that studies your blood—have been busily analyzing your readings, trying to get to the bottom of the problem. Your health system has also been consulting your genome to determine if a genetic predisposition may be a contributing factor. Nevertheless, the answer remains elusive. The sodium problem is not going away. This time, the smart home display suggests booking a telehealth appointment with your doctor to discuss the issue, and pulls up available times.

As you walk into the next room to enjoy your low-sodium breakfast, another alert ...