Future Today Institute’s Post

A truly brilliant analysis of #foresight from renowned computer scientist and mathematician, Rear Adm. Grace Hopper, in a recently released 1982 lecture to the National Security Agency: “Along came a gentleman named Henry Ford with two concepts: standard interchangeable parts and an assembly line, and he started to build Model Ts. I think we’ve totally forgotten how tremendously that changed the world. You could have any color you wanted, as long as it was black, they cost between three hundred and six hundred dollars, and people started to own cars. Naturally, had once they had cars, they demanded roads, we built them. Gas stations appeared, garages were stocked with interchangeable parts… People found they could move to suburbs and drive to work – and then of course they wanted to shop near home, so we had to build shopping centers. I think we’ve forgotten the tremendous developments that followed from the Model T Ford. Now, whether you recognize it or not, the Model Ts of the computer industry are here. We’ve been through the preliminaries of the industry – we’re now at the beginning of what will be the largest industry in the United States, and I’m quite worried about something. When we built all those roads and the shopping centers and all the other things, and provided for automobile transportation, we forgot something. We forgot transportation as a whole. We only looked at the automobiles. Because of that, today, when we need them again, the road beds, the railroads are falling apart… If we wanted to move our tanks from the center of the country to the ports to shipped them overseas, there are no flat cars left because we move all the cars on those racks on the roads now. If we wanted to move coal to replace oil, there are probably not enough hopper cars to move both the grain crop and the coal – and the truth of the matter is we’ve done a lousy job of managing transportation as a whole. Now, as we come to the world of the microcomputer, I think we’re going to be facing the same possibility. I’m afraid we will continue to buy pieces of hardware and then put programs on them, when what we should be doing is looking at the underlying thing, which is the total flow of information.” Watch the full video, titled "Future Possibilities: Data, Hardware, Software, and People,” below👇

In a world where trust has shifted from face-to-face interactions to digital connections, our managing director Melanie Subin reminds us that it is still the cornerstone of any relationship 🤝 Melanie joined Interac Corp.'s Debbie Gamble, ICD.D on "Everyday Trust" to explore how companies, especially in financial services, can effectively use technologies like AI and digital verification to rebuild the sense of trust that once came from knowing your local teller by name.

Foresight FAQ: how do we predict the future? That's an easy one - we don't! Strategic foresight isn't about predicting the future, it's about preparing for any future. We take what what we can know about the future today and combine it with what we can't yet know to develop multiple plausible scenarios. When we get it right, it's not because we have a crystal ball. It's because we've examined the many ways in which technology may interact with the broader societal, cultural and environmental forces in our world. We focus on understanding the complex systems at play and how they might evolve. By mapping out different possibilities, we help uncover new opportunities and navigate uncertainty with clarity 💡 #FutureReady #StrategicForesight

Forget controllers! This gel is playing Atari using pure "brain" power🕹️ Scientists at the University of Reading have developed a polymer hydrogel that can play the classic video game Pong. When connected to the game via electrodes, the gel demonstrated an increasing ability to control the paddle and thus achieved longer rallies – suggesting the hydrogel has a form of memory, despite being far from an artificial brain. Such research into adaptive behavior opens up exciting possibilities for creating "smart" materials that can remember and evolve 🧠 Learn more about this development in the article below. #Science #Tech #SmartMaterials

Is the winner of the #AI race already decided? 🤔 In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, FTI Founder & CEO Amy Webb says the competition is far from over. Read more about what Amy sees as the threats and opportunities for European countries, including France and Germany, in the article below👇

⏳ Last call for nominations! If you or someone you know has been pushing the boundaries of innovation in the last 12-24 months, don't miss your chance to be featured in our 18th Annual Tech Trends Report. The deadline to submit your "Ones to Watch" nominations is this Friday, August 30. https://buff.ly/4fGcTu9

Our own Sam Jordan took the stage at WorldatWork’s Sales Comp’24 conference in San Francisco last week to explore the cutting-edge impact of #AI on sales compensation and the #futureofwork 🌐 Sam shared insights on how AI-driven clones, #deepfakes and virtual agents will redefine sales, customer interactions and compensation structures. Ultimately, in order to prepare for what's next, leaders and their employees will need to learn how to effectively manage and collaborate with these new technologies. The key to resilience in any organization is taking the right steps today in anticipation of tomorrow 🔑

Foresight FAQ: What's the difference between a #trend and something that is trendy? Trendy things – anything from open-concept offices to Silly Bandz – pop up, grab our attention and disappear just as fast. They’re fads, quick fixes that seem big but don’t stick around long enough to matter. Trends, on the other hand, are built to last. They take time to develop, emerging from bigger forces shaping our world. And while they may not always grow in a straight line, they keep pushing forward. Real trends don’t just make waves – they help you make smarter business decisions that last ✨ #FutureReady #StrategicForesight

🚀 Are you or is someone you know doing cool things? We want to hear about it! The FTI team is hard at work compiling our 18th Annual Tech Trends Report, due next spring. The report will dive deep into more than a dozen industries and technologies, with each volume featuring a "Ones to Watch" list. If you’ve driven innovation through technology in the last 12-24 months, or know someone who has, submit your nomination by August 30. https://buff.ly/3SIWviQ