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 — that means she analyzes global trends and advises on how they may impact people's daily lives. To kick off 2016, Sommers spoke with MPR News host Tom Weber about what to expect in the coming year. 

"Will my life be hugely different? No. Will yours? Probably not," she said. But everything from retail to robots will be changing. Be on the lookout for virtual reality.

"Retail in the next two years or so is going to have a lot of virtual reality, augmented reality, embedded into it. It's going to start to become a bigger part of our lives," Sommers said.

And don't dismiss Mark Zuckerberg's 2016 resolution to build his very own 

. It may seem like "The Jetsons" dream finally fulfilled, but it's rooted in real technology. 

"Robots are coming into our lives," Sommers said.

The recent investments in renewable energy are also a sign of what's next.

"One of the bigger trends that I see, overall, it's technology companies like Google and Amazon and Facebook and the rest who are making massive investments in renewable energies to power their big server farms." These investments at the corporate level could change individuals' access to similar technology.

In the face of new scientific developments and product designs, Sommer said the concerns over geopolitical relations remain.

"The thing that never changes, that's constant over time — always has been, always will be — is human nature. We're still going to have the same problems, but we're just going to have new tools to solve them with. That's what technology is: a new set of tools to address the needs of our lives."

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Virtual reality technology will continue to develop, Cecily Sommers said, and no one should dismiss Mark Zuckerberg's plan for a robot butler.

Cecily Sommers, futurist, on what to expect in 2016

A virtual reality display in Boston in 2015

A futurist weighs in on 2016

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