Interesting question! My small consulting business is not a legitimate indicator for all of industry, but I see this "paperless" world coming soon and inevitably.
Skeptical myself, 15 years ago, I now find that I design mechanisms, do CNC prototypes, have SLA models and injection molds made, while rarely creating drawings. I think we are not quite there because the documentation tradition itself is strong, but the large subterranian inertia is there. Returning to the example of SLA and mold production, most folks doing such work wouldn't even consider--or even be able to function--these days from drawings; they demand a 3D CAD model, for very good and obvious reasons. Don't get me wrong, I think a certain amount of documentation with simple summary information on a dependable, low-tech, highly portable medium (paper) still has its place. It will be interesting watching this process in the next few years.
