Have you encountered someone cited as a “technologist” or a “futurist” and wondered what that meant or whether there was a difference between the two? The distinction isn’t always big, and it isn’t always clear.
So, what’s the difference between a technologist and a futurist?
Technologist vs. Futurist: Same Same, But Different?
Before diving into how futurists and technologists are different, it makes sense to detail how they are similar. Both technologists and futurists study technology—usually new and emerging technologies.
Both of these professions are usually academic; that is to say, while they both study technology, they are not necessarily creators themselves. Both of these are also academic careers in that technologists and futurists often make their money principally as writers/professors.
Now that we have some basic understanding of both of these professions, let’s take a deeper look at what separates them.
Technologists Are Experts in Technology
Historically, a “technologist” has been an expert in one specific technology. Specifically, the technologist has been an expert in operating and implementing a particular device or class of device.
Is a Fast-Paced World the End of the Technologist?
This has been subject to change in recent years, however. As we mentioned above, “technologist” usually refers to an expert in new and emerging technology. We are currently experiencing what many technologists and futurists refer to as “convergence,” where several previously separate technologies come together.
For example, a technologist five years ago might have been an expert on the Internet of Things, or on the internet itself, or on blockchain technology. However, now 5G is changing how smart devices communicate, and blockchain technologies often record those interactions. So, these once disparate technologies are now intricately related.
What Do Technologists Do?
Some technologists work within a specific company to manage the adoption and implementation of that technology. Others work within agencies that help other companies use technology effectively. Others consult for industry, enterprise, and even the military. Still, others teach and/or write for journals and magazines.
How Does One Become a Technologist?
There isn’t a “technologist” degree track at most universities, and it isn’t the kind of thing that most people set out to be anyway. Technologists are experts in their field, which can involve getting degrees in a specific field but can also happen more organically with years of experience focused on a specific area of application.
This is part of the story for author, speaker, and consultant Cathy Hackl. Hackl worked at Amazon Web Services and with extended reality companies Magic Leap and HTC VIVE. Now, her primary interests involve how emerging and converging technologies impact and will continue to impact the future of work, including through automation.
Futurists Are Experts in People
While even the most siloed technologist might have to be familiar with several different technologies, thinking about how different technologies play together is part of a futurist’s job. A futurist’s job is essentially to look at current and emerging trends and literally predict the future.
Where a technologist might be involved in the literal nuts and bolts of how a technology works, a futurist is likely to be more interested in the human implications of technology. Futurists aren’t just interested in how technology works (or will work). They’re interested in how it impacts people both individually and as whole societies.
What Do Futurists Do?
Futurists often work in entertainment where finding “the next big thing” is crucial. This is the case for Ted Schilowitz, who began his career developing camera technology and is currently a professional Futurist at Paramount Pictures. Schilowitz is specifically interested in extended reality (XR) technologies and production.
The opposite can also be true: some are interested in reaching people through technology and gradually become experts in how changing technology changes people. For example, prominent tech author and educator Charlie Fink started his career at Disney in the 1980s. Beginning in 2D media, Fink gradually became one of the leading experts in XR.
However, entertainment isn’t the only domain of the futurist. Like the technologist, futurists are often educators and writers and can be consultants and contribute to policymaking.
How Does One Become a Futurist?
As is the case with technologists, there’s no set-in-stone degree or career track to become a futurist. It’s a career that most people get into through dedicated application and/or study of technology.
Technologists and Futurists Move Society Forward
Technologists and futurists have a lot in common. More than they used to, anyway, as emerging technologies are becoming increasingly interdependent. Both work to build and predict the future, though the futurist may focus more on people and the technologist may focus more on … well, technology.
Whether you want to become a technologist or a futurist or you just want to find more to learn from, your best course of action is to immerse yourself in the world of tech.
Image Credit: Brad Frost / Flickr