2020 Revisited with Cornell Tech’s Greg Morrisett

In 2020, with Covid raging and universities facing unprecedented challenges, I interviewed Greg Morrisett the Dean and Vice Provost at Cornell Tech.  We talked about the challenges of operating a university during the pandemic, how professors and students were impacted, and the role of technology in making the new normal possible.  In this episode, we get back together over 2 years later to check-in.  We review our comments in 2020 to learn if they hold true and update our views on the future of higher education.

************************************************************************
Kevin Benedict
Partner | 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.

Preparing for the Future: Operating in Three Time Dimensions

The better we are at understanding the future, the more value can be harvested from it today. ~Kevin Benedict
It's important to recognize that not every part of an organization can or should operate in the same time dimension. Humans are slower at many things than computers. Humans might take 5 days to process a business loan, while a computer only seconds.  With the addition of AI, automation, and predictive analytics a digital solution can even leap forward into the future to create value, and this is our topic for today.

Let’s consider the concept of having three time-dimensions inside an organization.

1. Human-time – time governed by our physical, biological, and mental limitations constrained within a 24-hour cycle.
2. Digital-time – time governed by the speed of computer processors, cybersecurity systems and network speeds operating 24x7x365 days a year.
3. Future-time – the ability to reach deep into the future for value.  It is achieved by using predictive analytics, planning solutions, algorithms, and artificial intelligence.

Human-time is often the slowest time dimension among the three when it comes to completing a business process.  Humans are biological entities that operate at a pace governed by our biology, the sun, moon, and the physical requirements that keep our carbon-based bodies alive and functioning.  These requirements and our mental and emotional limitations make scaling human productivity beyond the limits of the 24-hour Circadian Rhythm nearly impossible without assistance.
 
Digital-time refers to the speeds at which digital systems operate.  This includes computer systems, software, sensors, data storage, cybersecurity, and networks, etc.  The goal of most business processes operating in digital-time is to reach speeds as close to real-time as possible.  This is accomplished by optimizing each connected system, component and process that touches data.  A good example is online commerce.

The Future-time concept enables processes to fly right past the real-time benchmark, and into the future. It’s the ability to travel forward in time, set up an outpost, and find insight that should inform behaviors and decisions today. Based on an outpost's findings, actions that need to be done in a particular sequence between now and then can be recommended.  Future-time outposts can inform simulations, and possible scenarios that might be useful in the future.

Future-time systems are proactive, rather than reactive.  It’s a website providing a personalized recommendation for equipment you will need next month.  It’s recommending the purchase of materials at a discount today that you will need next quarter. 

A solution running in future-time, utilizes predictive analytics and planning solutions, algorithms, simulation, and AI to anticipate future scenarios and the needs of an organization.  Real-time data captured and processed in "digital-time" is used to select and activate scenarios that have prepared in "future-time" and reviewed by humans operating in "human-time." Three different time dimensions all working together to optimize an organization's processes.

The challenge, of course with this multiple time dimension concept, is to use the right time-dimension in the right processes. Problems arise when time-dimensions are misunderstood, and/or mismanaged.  You can’t include human-time dependencies in high-volume online commerce transactions.  It would fail.

On the other hand, leaders wouldn’t want a computer system automatically changing their company’s strategic partnerships, relationships and brand strategy  – this is a process best reserved for thoughtful leaders operating in a human-time dimension.

Military leaders historically had weeks or months to watch their enemy, anticipate their intent, and prepare a response or countermeasure.  Today, however, hypersonic weapons exist that can travel at 20,000 MPH.  This means that an attack by hypersonic weapons would permit only seconds to analyze the threat and to design and execute a response.  This is an impossible environment for human-time operations.  It is also not a good fit for digital-time operations.  Complex and instantaneous responses require the benefit of pre-made scenarios created in future-time.  A time dimension where predictions and practiced response scenarios have been rehearsed and are waiting.  These scenarios that were rehearsed in advance of need, are now the blueprints for instantaneous and automatic actions that will intercept the future.  

The hypersonic weapons example demonstrates the need for anticipation, simulation, automation, rehearsal and speed.  Adding human decision-making friction inside a process that demands instantaneous responses would not work.  Increasingly leaders will have to recognize each of these time dimensions and design systems and scenarios to optimize them.

************************************************************************
Kevin Benedict
Partner | 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.

What You Believe about the Future with Futurist Gerd Leonhard

In this episode, my guest is the renowned futurist, author, and keynote speaker Gerd Leonhard.  Gerd ranks as a top 10 futurist and has participated in 1,600 engagements across 50-plus countries.  His presentations and books have impacted business and government leaders everywhere.  Join us as we explore the role of a futurist and what it means to believe in a better future.

************************************************************************
Kevin Benedict
Partner | 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.

On Becoming a Supply Chain Guru and Futurist with Dr. Marcell Vollmer

In this episode, our guest is futurist and renowned procurement and supply chain influencer, Dr. Marcell Vollmer.  We take a deep dive into his career from DHL to becoming a popular global influencer at SAP and beyond.  We also discuss how social media can boost careers, the importance of being authentic, luck, mentors, and reading books.  We then review the current challenges and emerging trends and technologies in supply chains and logistics.  We conclude by leaping into the future to see what is to come.

************************************************************************
Kevin Benedict
Partner | 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.

The Future of Income, Careers, and Human Potential with Futurist Alex Whittington

In this episode, our guest is Futurist Alex Whittington.  Alex and I take a deep dive into the future of work, income and human potential.  We talk about the impact of automation on the future of work.  We discuss the job of a futurist, and whether the role should be that of an objective observer or an activist.  Join us as we explore each of these subjects and much more.

************************************************************************
Kevin Benedict
Partner | 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.

The Future of Cybersecurity and Risk in Healthcare

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the pandemic impact on cybersecurity and risk with experts Manan Kakkar from Providence, and Bob Scalise from TCS.  We explore the rapidly evolving threat landscapes and attack vectors in healthcare, and defending against nation-sponsored attacks and organized crime.  We discuss all of these and more with a special emphasis on healthcare and the future of cybersecurity.


************************************************************************
Kevin Benedict
Partner | 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.

The Future of the Logistics' Last-Mile with Expert Guy Bloch

In this episode, we talk with logistics expert and Bringg CEO, Guy Bloch.  Guy walks us through the pandemic impact on supply chains, retailers and logistics systems.  We learn that during the pandemic supply chains and logistics systems were challenged globally as never before. 

As we all know, during the pandemic large numbers of people were isolated at home and online commerce exploded in popularity as did at-home deliveries of all kinds.  Retailers, restaurants and distributors scrambled to organize more efficient ways to get products delivered. 

Many of the new consumer behaviors that emerged during the pandemic are now becoming permanent, and businesses are rethinking, redesigning and re-prioritizing their logistics to address these changes. Listen in as we review the pandemic impact on logistics, and how these changes and emerging technologies like self-driving vehicles, robots and drones will likely shape the future of logistics' ecosystems.


************************************************************************
Kevin Benedict
Partner | 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.

The Future of Something Annoying..Passwords

In this episode, we deeply dive into something we all find annoying, passwords.  We explore the challenges surrounding passwords today, the cost of password-related fraud and theft, and then explore the future of human factor authentication with expert and AuthID.ai CEO Tom Thimot.  Join me as we pull back the curtains and learn about the next generation of authentication.



************************************************************************
Kevin Benedict
Partner | 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.

The Future of Sports and the Importance of Integrity

Our guest in this episode is Katie Simmonds, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of SIGA, the Sports Integrity Global Alliance.  We take a deep dive into the role integrity plays in the global sports industry which is projected to reach US $40.2 billion by 2026.  We discuss the importance of creating and defending a culture of honesty, transparency, fairness, accountability, and equality in sports.  We look ahead at the future of sports - developments in science, technology, medicine, and therapies that will likely change the world of sports in significant ways. We explore the impact of artificial intelligence, automation, content creation, and augmented realities on sports and athletes.  Sports is a BIG business today, and everyone involved will benefit by embracing standards of integrity.


To read more about the future of sports check out, The Future of Sports Integrity, Part 1.

************************************************************************
Kevin Benedict
Partner | 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.

What the Metaverse Could Mean for Retail

My wife and I are enthusiastic backpackers.  We buy gear that is ultralight and designed to take the abuse of rugged wilderness environments.  For many years we have frequented the outdoor equipment store REI to purchase our clothing, gear and supplies.  Recently, however, REI has stopped stocking their stores with a full range of products.  They only seem to stock a small selection of sizes and colors, and refer you to their website for all other options.  

As an example, on a recent trip to REI, I had a shopping list of four items. Each time I asked a customer service person about one of the products on my list, I was given the same answer, "Visit our website... we don't carry it in our stores."  

On the way home I felt disappointment. The trip seemed both a waste of time and fuel.  Is the disappointment I felt shared by tens of thousands of other customers?  If so, will this shared disappointment lead to the demise, or the transformation of physical stores?  

Featured Post

Leadership Advice from a Futurist - A Reading

Leadership is hard.  So for all the leaders and want-to-be leaders out there, here is some advice that I hope you will find useful. ***...