This is how cars could look by 2050, according to experts (and imagined by AI)

Technologies such as autonomous driving, nanotech screens and augmented reality are poised to reshape the cars we drive, experts have told DailyMail.com.

They predict that we will not approach cars with keys and rely on the navigation system – cars will come to us, connected to our daily routines and ready to entertain us.

Humanoid AI avatars will know in advance what we want and send us to our destinations in cars powered by electricity or hydrogen. Technologies such as ‘fully’ autonomous driving – a car that is conscious and able to make its own choices – and flying vehicles will reshape the cities around us.

DailyMail.com used the popular AI art generator Midjourney to create images of what the cars, car interiors and roads of the future might look like based on these predictions.

Autonomous cars appear on demand

The car of the future will be electric, autonomous and powered by AI, explains Przemysław Krokosz, an edge and embedded technology expert at global software solutions provider Mobica.

According to McKinsey, autonomous driving is expected to generate $300 billion to $400 billion in revenue by 2035.

AI hologram ‘driver’ guides passengers

Passengers can interact with the AI ​​driving their car in the form of a holographic avatar – with a personality to match the driver’s tastes.

Mr Krokosz said: ‘The artificial intelligence (AI) onboard the vehicle will be able to recognize passengers and adapt the vehicle’s settings and controls to their preferences – with the ability to answer questions and engage in engaging conversation, among other things .

“This AI will likely be represented by an animated holographic avatar, which can speak and respond in a human-like manner.”

The interior of the cars of the future will take on a new shape as passengers are relieved of the ‘nuisance’ of driving, Krokosz believes.

VR will turn car interiors into entertainment zones

In cars, virtual and augmented reality will create entertainment that resembles real holograms.

Mr Krokosz said: ‘They will have spare time to spend on productive activities or on entertainment, rest and relaxation.

“We’ve seen in-vehicle games before, but advancements in holographic projections will lead to more immersive and engaging in-vehicle entertainment experiences – without the need for AR/VR glasses.

Immersive experiences without AR glasses

In cars, entertainment is personalized for each passenger — with AI music and projections built to entertain that specific person, Krokosz said.

He said: “The unparalleled comfort of the rest and relax mode will bring the mood lighting and interior projections of soothing landscapes to all weary passengers, with a noise-cancelling assisted zonal audio system that plays AI-synthesized music based on individual preferences.”

Autonomous cars become offices

As cars become more fully autonomous, people can use them as workspaces, explains Bertrand Boisseau, Automotive Lead at Canonical.

Boisseau said, “Most of us already take business calls from our vehicles.

“But in the very near future, our cars could become even more productivity-focused spaces, enabling video calls and advanced work collaboration.

“Automotive companies may soon be more like technology companies delivering content and connected services.”

Car bodies become transparent at will

The glass in cars can become transparent at will – and information such as speed will flash directly onto the windshield for drivers, said Dr Hossein Ardekani, principal investigator at transparent OLED specialist Nextgen Nano.

Cars will display advertising on the outside

Dr Ardekani’s company recently made a breakthrough in transparent OLED technology that allows screens to act like two-way mirrors, so they act like a screen on one side but remain transparent on the other.

Dr. Ardekani said: ‘This has potentially significant implications, for example, that all glass windows on everything from buses and trains to entire buildings could act as digital advertising displays from the outside, but remain transparent to commuters or occupants looking out.’

Drivers see information projected across their vision

The shape-shifting LED glass can also help drivers see useful information in the glass on the outside of their car.

Dr. Ardekani said: “It could also be used in heads-up displays in cars to give drivers vital information without taking their eyes off the road or in smart glasses to give users more privacy.”

Flying cars will be worth trillions

Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov predicted in 1964 that flying cars would be commonplace by 2014 – but several start-ups around the world, including Volocopter, are now marketing flying vehicles, many of them autonomous.

Regulatory hurdles remain, but Morgan Stanley has predicted that flying vehicles could be a $1.5 trillion market by 2040.

Morgan Stanley predicts that flying cars could be as transformative as the car was in the early 20th century.

Cars will exist in both reality and the metaverse

The vehicles of the future will be highly personalized and users will drive them both in VR and in the real world, said Jeremy White, Head of Transport Design at Seymourpowell.

Mr. White said, “What if you could virtually drive your own vehicle on your favorite track during the week and see if you could match it in the real world on a weekday track day?

“Forward-thinking automotive brands will begin to create new product-defining virtual experiences in a world where everyday driving and products are increasingly similar.”

Sustainable cars could be desirable

Mr White believes that sustainable interiors made from vegan materials could be highly desirable in the future.

He said: ‘The rebirth of coachbuilding in a modern age will enable customers to own vehicles that express their individual identities, values ​​and desires at all touchpoints of the vehicle. The material palette can also express the individuality of a customer.

‘Can a vegan interior or the use of sustainable and circular outdoor materials, for example, create pride of ownership?’