When discussing the future of robotics and artificial intelligence, we rarely know exactly what will happen. To express how sure we are about a prediction, we use parenthetical words (вводные слова). In Russian, these words do not change the grammatical structure of the sentence, and they are always set off by commas.
Obviousness and Probability
To state that something seems clear or highly likely, use очевидно (obviously) or вероятно (probably).
| Obviously, artificial intelligence will replace some professions. | Очевидно, искусственный интеллект заменит некоторые профессии. |
| Probably, in ten years robots will be everywhere. | Вероятно, через десять лет роботы будут везде. |
Assumptions and Absolute Certainty
When making an assumption based on what you observe, use видимо (apparently). When you have no doubts at all, use несомненно (undoubtedly).
| Apparently, artificial intelligence will be smarter than a human. | Видимо, искусственный интеллект будет умнее, чем человек. |
| Undoubtedly, in the year 2030 robots will be helping us. | Несомненно, в две тысячи тридцатом году роботы будут помогать нам. |
Making Predictions
To talk about formal predictions, you can use the verb прогнозировать (to predict). This is especially useful when talking about scientific or technological developments affecting человечество (humanity).
| Scientists predict that artificial intelligence can save humanity. | Учёные прогнозируют, что искусственный интеллект может спасти человечество. |
"Needless to say"
When a conclusion is so natural that it barely needs to be stated, use разумеется (needless to say / of course).
Remember, parenthetical words must be separated from the rest of the sentence with commas, even when they appear right in the middle of a phrase.
| Needless to say, robots will analyze data before a person makes a decision. | Разумеется, роботы будут анализировать данные, перед тем как человек примет решение. |
| This is undoubtedly a huge step for humanity. | Это, несомненно, огромный шаг для человечества. |
