The Future of Innovation

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Innovation is one of the most important driving forces behind our society and economy, pushing us towards remarkable advancements and opportunities. Over the next decade, the landscape of innovation will undergo significant transformations, shaped by a mix of cutting-edge technologies, societal changes, and new economic models. This future holds the promise of redefining industries, enhancing human capabilities, and creating new markets, all while tackling some of the world's most pressing challenges. The importance of innovation in shaping our future is immense; it is the engine of economic growth, improved quality of life, and sustainable development.

One of the most exciting developments is the rise of artificial intelligence and automation. These technologies will revolutionize industries by boosting efficiency, enhancing decision-making, and opening up new avenues for innovation. AI will evolve to the point where it co-creates and innovates alongside humans, fundamentally changing how we approach problem-solving and creativity.

AI and Analyzing Supply Chain Risk with Expert Tom Thimot

What if your global supply chain could anticipate disruptions before they happen? 🤯 In this episode, we sit down with Tom Thimot, CEO of Supply Wisdom, to uncover the emerging technology that's revolutionizing risk management in massive, extended supply chains. Get ready to discover how AI and automation are transforming the way businesses navigate uncertainty and keep their operations running.

*I use generative AI to assist in all my work.

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Kevin Benedict

Futurist at TCS

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***Full Disclosure: These are my personal opinions. No company is silly enough to claim them. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

The Future of Hearing with Expert Kamal Sen, PhD

In this episode, expert Kamal Sen, PhD, takes us on a deep dive into how new information about our brains, combined with AI and cool innovative electronics, will potentially improve the quality of life for millions.  If you have ever struggled with hearing loss, or understanding what people around you are saying in a crowded room, then this new technology will be very exciting for you!  

*I use generative AI to assist in all my work.

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Kevin Benedict

Futurist at TCS

View my profile on LinkedIn

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

Join the Linkedin Group Digital Intelligence

***Full Disclosure: These are my personal opinions. No company is silly enough to claim them. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Not So Obvious Strategies for 2024

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Futurist Frank Diana, speaks often about the importance of recognizing the converging forces that will ultimately deliver our future.  These converging forces come from a variety of different domains such as science, technology, societal, geopolitical, economic, environmental and philosophy.  It is these evolving, emerging and transforming forces from all of these different domains, mixed together, that generate our future.

When anticipating and planning for the future, it is important to understand that we are not without agency.  There are many things that we can know, do, implement and change that will enable us to navigate through these forces and be more prepared.  We can recognize patterns, signals, convergences and catalysts that will shape our world and prepare for it.  The following concepts, not often considered, can also be valuable in preparing us for the future.

Dale Carnegie for Robots

Early in my career I attended, and then helped organize and teach Dale Carnegie courses.  Dale Carnegie was the legendary author of the 1936 book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People."  Mr. Carnegie went on to publish several other bestselling books, and over 9 million people have since graduated through his courses on topics such as public speaking, human relations, sales and management skills.  

Dale Carnegie focused his energies and talents on teaching people human relation skills so they could be more confident and successful.  I bet Mr. Carnegie never considered that one day we would all be needing robot, cobot and digital assistant relationship skills.  Have you thought about that?  What kind of skills will the next generation of young professionals need to rise above the robot noise?  

What kinds of skills will you need when you are sitting across the table from a robot trained in business negotiations?  How do you best interact with a customer service robot to get the best service and your problem resolved?  

At some point my robots will be negotiating with your robots for the best deal.  How will I train my robots to get the best results?  It seems a good place to start would be to first understand who we are negotiating with and how are they trained?  What LLM are they based on?  It's a strange world we are entering, where we will be mixing it up with all kinds of different humans, AI powered robot avatars, robots, digital assistants and cobots.  Will we have one set of human relations skills for humans, and another dozen for different digital entities?

We are in for a wild ride!

*I use generative AI to assist in all my work.

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Kevin Benedict

Futurist at TCS

View my profile on LinkedIn

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

Join the Linkedin Group Digital Intelligence

***Full Disclosure: These are my personal opinions. No company is silly enough to claim them. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

When HR Adds Digital Agents and Robots

The HR acronym means Human Resources, but how does that change when digital agents and robotic coworkers are added?  How will it change the future of HR, work and jobs?  This and many more topics are discussed with expert Celia Fleischaker in this insightful interview.

*I use generative AI to assist in all my work.

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Kevin Benedict

Futurist at TCS

View my profile on LinkedIn

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

Join the Linkedin Group Digital Intelligence

***Full Disclosure: These are my personal opinions. No company is silly enough to claim them. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

From Cave Walls to Artificial Intelligence: The Evolution of Information

Our pursuit of knowledge has driven an extraordinary evolution in how we capture, distribute, and utilize information. From the dawn of humanity to our modern digital age, the evolution of information technologies has been a driving force behind progress, innovation, and societal transformation.

Our ancestors etched stories onto cave walls and shared knowledge through oral traditions, their brains serving as the primary repositories of information. As we developed written language and printing, information became more accessible, democratizing knowledge and empowering individuals to challenge established norms. The printing press, a revolutionary invention of the 15th century, fueled the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, facilitating the widespread dissemination of ideas and accelerating scientific discovery.

In the 20th century, the advent of digital media marked a paradigm shift in information capture and distribution. Computers, local networks, and ultimately the internet transformed the way we interact with information, making it instantaneous, global, and participatory. Today, cloud computing and artificial intelligence are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, with large language models and sophisticated algorithms capable of generating insights and understanding from vast datasets.

The Hidden Currency of Change: Transformational Energy

Throughout history, both organizations and societies have grappled with the consequences of rapid change. Consider the Gutenberg printing press.  Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the mid-15th century created all kinds of rapid, unforeseen and unintended consequences. It democratized information, enabled the rapid dissemination of it, and disrupted all kinds of established power structures and belief systems. 

Prior to the printing press, knowledge dissemination was slow, controlled and often only available to an elite few. The printing press significantly lowered barriers to entry, empowering individuals, and smaller organizations to challenge established players and dogma. For example, the printing press weakened the Church's monopoly on knowledge and fueled the Protestant Reformation, which led to social unrest, wars and calls for change, as seen in the religious turmoil following Gutenberg's invention.

Fast forward centuries, and we see another example with the Industrial Revolution. While it sparked incredible innovation and economic growth, the rapid pace of change left many behind. The rise of factories led to harsh working conditions, displacing traditional artisans, and fueling social movements like Luddism, where workers protested the perceived threat of technology to their livelihoods. These historical examples illustrate the importance of managing change effectively. When change happens too quickly, it can lead to societal discord and organizational exhaustion. In today's world of constant change and innovation, understanding and managing our collective "transformational energy" is more crucial than ever.

How Our Minds Resist the Future

Rule #1. The future will always be tainted by our past, as we will attempt to apply our legacy perspectives, biases, moral frameworks and belief systems there, relevant or not. ~ Kevin Benedict

Humans display a wide range of psychological traits that can make us resistant to change, and fearful of the future. Understanding these traits helps explain why we sometimes struggle with change, even when it offers rewards and benefits. We will also consider how the influence of money, sex, power, and identity can further complicate these traits in hard to predict ways.

Psychological Traits Resistant to Change

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1. Loss Aversion: This tendency involves preferring to avoid losses rather than acquiring equivalent gains. The fear of losing what one already has (such as status, resources, or comfort levels) can be a more potent motivator than the potential benefits of gaining something new.
2. Status Quo Bias: Many of us prefer things to remain unchanged because the status quo is familiar and comfortable. Change introduces uncertainty, which can be stressful and anxiety-inducing.
3. Confirmation Bias: We tend to favor information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs or values. This bias can close us off to new ideas and lead to selective gathering of evidence, making change more difficult.
4. Fear of the Unknown: Change is inherently uncertain. Not being able to predict outcomes can lead to fear or anxiety, causing us to stick with known quantities, even if they are suboptimal.
5. Cognitive Dissonance: When new information conflicts with our existing beliefs, it can create discomfort known as cognitive dissonance. We often resist change because it challenges our worldview or identity, leading to discomfort we naturally wish to avoid.
6. Habit: Our behavior is largely driven by habits, which are efficient for cognitive processing. Changing habits requires conscious effort and can be mentally taxing, thus we often resist change to maintain cognitive ease.

The Future, Progress and Moral Frameworks

Those who believe in the inevitable progress of man, forget that the twentieth century was the bloodiest, most destructive century in human history. The century's two world wars alone resulted in the deaths of at least 60 million people.

The 20th century was marked by an explosive convergence of ideological, technological, economic, geopolitical and sociopolitical forces, creating a highly volatile environment that led to unprecedented violence and devastation, while at the same time delivering the highest standard of living in history. This era demonstrated how technological advancements, in the absence of corresponding developments in legal and moral frameworks, can lead to massive human suffering.

While technology significantly enhanced the destructiveness of warfare during the 20th century, the deeper causes of this violence lay in the prevailing belief systems and moral frameworks. These frameworks, which include religious, philosophical, and cultural codes, are vital as they shape societal norms about what is deemed justifiable or unacceptable behavior, especially concerning the use of violence.