This page is a guide to what the average character may encounter in daily life in Capital City in the year 2075, or as part of their background. Large modern cities or technological hubs (such as Tokyo) may be expected to have a similar level - the further from these areas you travel, the less widespread the use of more recent advances (such as AI systems) will be. Note that it does not constrain your personal technology level, which may be above (or below) that of the modern world, though you will find it easier to get access to the technologies described below.
Electricity is cheap and readily available. Most of the world's power is supplied by the SolarMax project, a set of satellites which capture the sun's energy and beam power to ground stations located on the equator. Capital City itself is powered by the Core, the world's first terawatt fusion plant. Other renewables are also frequently used for personal supplies, if relying on even the Core's cheap supply would prove prohibitive (through large distance, for instance) - it is not unknown for companies to power outlying buildings with local wind farms, or extremely efficient bio-mimetic solar panels.
Sadly, flying cars are a reality for few. While several variants have been developed, their relative expense makes them the equivalent of today's private jets - though this may change as more escape the prototype phase. The majority of the populace still rely on either cars or public transport of various kinds. Cars have adapted to the modern age, and are largely renewably powered (given the city's terawatt power source, most are electric), though you may find some aging fuel-burning vehicles and technologies in the city's poorest districts. Many modern vehicles are capable of autonomous driving, their AI guidance systems (largely Jeeves-manufactured) communicating with both other cars and the city's AI-run Traffic Guidance System to find the optimal route.
Public transport has likewise advanced. Trains have mostly been replaced by maglevs, made possible by the discovery of room temperature superconductors at the Rothwell Science Park. The maglev network spans Capital City, and is used daily by many commuters.
Computers have become smaller, lighter, and more flexible than ever before - you can now wear devices with the processing power of a modern computer about your person, whether as accessory (such as a watch) or as part of your clothing itself. JeevesCorp has become a market leader in these industries, though many individuals have their own creations, far surpassing those commercially available. Augmented reality, as a result, has become a major part of the modern world, allowing immediate access to gadgets such as universal translators (albeit still a little buggy). From glasses projecting information onto your vision, through (subtler) contact lenses, to cybernetic implants transmitting electrical pulses directly to the vision centres of your brain, there is a wide selection of options. For displays more suited to public viewing, developments in hologram technology mean many computers are entirely screenless - in fact, recorded holographic messages, as well as the use of hologram telepresence systems have recently become popular.
A majority of factories are now fully automated using robots, while in daily life, improvements in sensors, more delicate and powerful actuators, and AI algorithms capable of responding to more complex situations mean autonomous robots are frequently allowed to perform various tasks. However, AIs must be developed specifically (at Jeeves, done through a secret evolutionary process), and require a great deal more processing power for the more sophisticated models, and as such there are few known fully sentient AIs embodied in robotic form as yet - though many do control robotic assets remotely. AI rights have been a frequently debated subject, but as of the present, only a few of the more advanced AIs have successfully made a legal challenge to be granted rights as individuals. More general AI rights, however, are still lacking.
AI itself has advanced in leaps and bounds, following Jeeves' creation of the first sentient AI in 2036. Sentient AIs of various capabilities are part of everyday life, although are expensive purchases if commercially bought, or major projects if self-constructed (many of the processes involved, especially the evolutionary algorithms, are kept secret by JeevesCorp, though some other enterprises have succeeded using alternative means). AI assistants and companions, for instance, became an instant craze in the 2040s, and their popularity has scarcely decreased since. In more mundane uses, AIs are responsible for regulating many aspects of everyday life, though they are generally overseen by humans - for instance, running Capital City's increasingly complex public transport network.
Medical science has also progressed considerably. While many ailments formerly considered incurable are now easily treated, new threats have meant the medical profession remains essential. Bioweapons, genetically engineered diseases, and even increased mutation has meant drug development must continue apace (largely led by Gamasot Laboratories in the private sector). Genetic problems, with the increased incidence of genetics-based powers, have become more widespread, and due to the unique nature of many of these conditions, expensive tailored therapies must often be devised.
Despite these challenges, medicine has generally improved: the development of almost entirely sterile, bacteria-resistant materials has widely reduced infections, and cybernetic replacements are available for most organs. Although these are expensive, they are more reliable than the cloned alternatives, which are also on the market. Some, however, find their bodies rejecting implants, particularly early models. For these unfortunate individuals, constant medication (or removal) is necessary. Most injuries, even the more serious kind, take weeks rather than months to heal - if proper care is reached in time. Many still die before receiving medical attention, so injury is still a considerable danger. That said, proper first aid can now do more - portable, temporary nerve-disabling devices provide easy anesthetic, while patches that promote rapid blood-clotting can (if properly applied) quickly stem bleeding.