I want to briefly explore the intriguing concept of “digitalization to materialization.”
The question is simple but profound: Can we take something that exists only in the digital realm and make it physical?
In some ways, we already do this. A common example is withdrawing cash from an ATM. What begins as digital currency, stored as data, is transformed into tangible paper money.
Now imagine taking that principle further. When a digital object is turned into a physical one through automated manufacturing, it almost feels as though the material object built itself. As economic systems grow more autonomous and assembly technologies continue to advance, the process of turning digital into material will only become faster and more seamless. One day, it may even happen instantaneously—quicker than withdrawing cash from a machine.
Looking ahead, we could also create physical products directly from digital or virtual simulations. These simulations could run like miniature universes of their own, generating complex designs—or even living systems—that could then be carried over into the material world.
This opens the door to something extraordinary: the ability to convert not only things, but potentially bodies and even minds from digital existence into physical form. I call this process “Carry Over.”
Some early signs of this future are already present in today’s economy:
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3D Printing: Everything from small items to entire houses can now be printed directly from digital blueprints.
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Advanced Simulations: Digital environments are becoming so complex that the possibility of intelligent life within them is no longer purely science fiction. We may only be a few technological steps away from large-scale carry over of simulated creations.
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Computer-Based Designs: Entire cities and architectural structures begin as computer models before taking shape in the real world. While not everything can be directly printed, the process begins in imagination, flows through digital design, and ultimately results in material reality.
