Google CEO Eric Schmidt took the stage at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference Tuesday to share his vision of the future, the role of technology in our lives, and offer a glimpse into Google's trajectory.
He was asked by an audience member how Google defines "openness" and Schmidt, formerly an Apple board member, noted in his explanation that what he means is, essentially, not Apple.
Google's concept of openness is "easier to understand by opposition," Schmidt explained. "The easiest comparison to make today is with Apple." He described Apple as having a "core strategy of closed-ness," while acknowledging that this has "worked extremely well" for Apple.
According to a transcript from the Technology Review, he continued, "You have to use their development tools, their hardware, their software, when you submit an application they have to approve it. That would not be open. So the inverse would be open."
Schmidt also offered a look at the direction in which he sees technology evolving and how he believes it will shape our lives:
It's a future where you don't forget anything...In this new future you're never lost...We will know your position down to the foot and down to the inch over time...Your car will drive itself, it's a bug that cars were invented before computers...you're never lonely...you're never bored...you're never out of ideas.
(transcript via Technology Review)
In the future, he remarked, "We can suggest where you go next, who to meet, what to read...What's interesting about this future is that it's for the average person, not just the elites."
"What we're really doing is building an augmented version of humanity," he said, the Technology Review writes.
Schmidt also envisioned a future where Twitter is profitable. Although he refused to comment on the possibility of Google acquiring Twitter, he observed, "Twitter should be able to come up with advertising and monetization products that should be highly lucrative." (See Twitter's latest moneymaking plan)
What do you think of Schmidt's future? Is it one you'd want to live in or no? Weigh in below.