It’s 7am in 2027 and your alarm has sounded
What will it be like for your future self when you wake up in the morning and prepare for your day at work?
Some things never change, like a wonderful dream cut short by the pings of your alarm.
“Alarm off,” you say, and the sound cuts out. You snuggle back in to your doona and bury your face in the pillow.
With a groan you remember you asked Alex, your home’s AI, to open the curtains if you hadn’t moved within five minutes. So, dutifully, they open.
Stirred by the sunlight, you swing your legs out of bed and scrunch your toes on the freshly-vacuumed carpet. Alex must have picked up unsatisfactory dust levels and ordered the maintenance sometime very recently. It feels nice.
You roll your head and feel the stiffness diffuse from your neck.
Despite the grey winter’s morning outside, the house feels warm. Not for the first time, you appreciate Alex ensuring the temperature is just how you like it on Wednesdays. Getting up is always harder on Wednesdays.
“Coffee,” you mumble, blinking the sleep out of your eyes.
“Of course,” Alex replies in what you’ve come to think of as his ‘morning voice’. “I delayed its preparation five minutes to account for your lack of movement. You completed fewer hours of deep sleep than normal last night, so I have made it extra strong to compensate. I also noticed you ordered croissants yesterday, so I’ve pre-heated the oven in advance of breakfast.”
You probably shouldn’t have croissants again today. Alex was quick to advise that you consumed more food yesterday than your desired daily calorie count. But you do have an important meeting this morning, and you don’t want to do that on an empty stomach.
It’s then that you notice the time: 7.07am, that’s early. Alex pre-empts your question: “Apologies for the earlier than anticipated start; there has been a burst water main on the route to your meeting and travel time is longer than was calculated last night. You will need to leave earlier.”
You shake off the cobwebs and stand, walking towards your wardrobe. Alex sees your movement and predicts your intent. “Temperature today is expected to be 18-degrees, however, there is a strong southern wind that will make it feel much cooler. As per your standing request, your wet jacket from yesterday has been cleaned and dried, ready for collection. Would you like to shower?”
You nod your head, and hear the shower starting up in the adjacent room. The distant hum of the heat lamps warming up further interrupts the morning quiet.
Walking down the stairs towards the kitchen ten minutes later, still drying your hair, a thought pops to mind. “Alex, I finished the juice last night.” There’s simply no starting a day without fresh juice.
“This was reported by the fridge,” Alex responds. “An order was placed earlier this morning and the delivery…” a slight pause, Alex must be checking the aerial drone’s position, “… is three minutes away.”
Entering the kitchen, you immediately sense the temperature has been brought up to exactly the right level. Your partner likes it cooler, but she has already left for the day, so Alex could warm it up a touch. The condensation beads on the window as the blinds roll up on your arrival.
The TV flicks on and the morning news is displayed. “Not today, Alex, show me the game, please.”
Your team played overnight in the Premier League, and Alex obediently streams a high-definition highlights package to the TV. It should be an easy win, you think, as you place the croissants in the already-hot oven.
“Your delivery has arrived,” Alex announces. You look out through the back door to the yard and watch as a drone lands, leaves a package, and departs. You hurry out to grab it, braving the morning cold, and return to pour a cup as your eyes again find the game. Those croissants smell so good.
GOOOAAAALLLLLL!
A flashing light appears in the corner of the screen, identifying that Alex would like to interrupt; you allow it. “There has just been an accident on your route this morning and your travel time has been further delayed. You can no longer make your meeting on time.”
You down the remainder of your coffee and head for the door after gingerly plucking your breakfast from the oven and throwing it on a plate. “Alex, please prepare the car’s screen for the meeting and send the best route to driverless mode. We can start the meeting in the car via video conference.”
You prefer to drive manually, but today it just wasn’t going to work out. Damn Wednesdays.
Alex reports back, “The route has been set and the meeting’s attendees have been notified of the delay. Others have been delayed, too, and will join you in the video conference.”
You hold your wrist up towards the front door and your embedded chip confirms your identity, allowing it to unlock. Balancing your plate of croissants, you pat your pockets instinctively, again forgetting you don’t have a wallet or keys anymore. You’re about to leave when you see Alex’s light flashing on the screen near the door. “Yes, Alex?”
Your hear the dryer pop open down the hall: “Don’t forget your jacket.”