A lot of embedded software is still running on 8 bit microcontrollers. The market has shifted towards 16 and now 32 bits, but 64 bits isn't that common yet. And a lot of the software libraries provided by microcontroller manufacturers are terrible and absolutely affected by Y2k38.
Expect lots of IoT or home security devices to malfunction. Or more critically industrial equipment, fire alarm systems, factory automation, etc. A bit over a decade a ago I helped develop an industrial spark extinguishing system. It's still sold and each setup will probably be used for 20-40 years. I know it will suffer from Y2k38, though probably (hopefully) only the event logging. When I raised concerns over this the answer from my boss was "I will be retired by then, don't spend time on that".
> When I raised concerns over this the answer from my boss was "I will be retired by then, don't spend time on that".
But...isn't capitalism supposed to fix this kind of reasoning? Turns out that what you really need is people caring for the right thing to do, and not just for money. Yes, often the right thing to do in a business context will lead to more money. But when time-frames expand and you are not the real owner...
Expect lots of IoT or home security devices to malfunction. Or more critically industrial equipment, fire alarm systems, factory automation, etc. A bit over a decade a ago I helped develop an industrial spark extinguishing system. It's still sold and each setup will probably be used for 20-40 years. I know it will suffer from Y2k38, though probably (hopefully) only the event logging. When I raised concerns over this the answer from my boss was "I will be retired by then, don't spend time on that".