Disrupting the System: Can Microschools Fix American Education? Understanding the power of microschools! In recent years, the United States has witnessed a significant educational shift, most notably marked by the up-and-coming phenomenon of microschools. This trend, although not entirely new, has experienced an unprecedented boom since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As traditional educational institutions grappled with closures, remote learning, and the challenges of ensuring both safety and quality education, a considerable number of parents and educators started to explore alterna ..read more

Understanding How Post-COVID Startups are Different Launching a startup is never easy, but it’s become even more complicated in the post-COVID era! The post-pandemic era has catalyzed a transformative wave across the startup ecosystem, unveiling new norms, challenges, and opportunities. As the global business terrain continues to evolve in response to the lasting impacts of COVID-19, understanding how post-COVID startups stand out in their approach is critical. These organizations are not just remnants of a crisis; they are trailblazers in a new world where adaptability, digital prowess ..read more

The Future of Main Street USA If you’ve strolled down Main Street in any small Midwestern town lately, you might’ve noticed something a bit disheartening – more and more empty storefronts, like missing teeth in a once bright smile. These streets, once the heartbeat of the town with their bustling mom-and-pop shops and cozy diners, have taken a real hit during the COVID pandemic. It’s a tough sight, especially for those of us who remember the lively chatter and the friendly banter that connected so many of us in the past. As we look at the future of Main Street, we’ll look at how these vit ..read more

12 Famous Quotes that Will Change Your Life As a futurist, I view the future not as an inevitability but as a blank slate, ripe for the imprint of our deepest hopes and desires. Many of my friends are well aware of my fixation with unearthing the perfect quote, a quote that encapsulates the essence of what I’m trying to say in the moment. But it’s not easy. Creating the right quote is most often an elaborate wordsmithing exercise that, if done correctly, will result in a highly repeatable phrase retold over and over again by some of the world’s brightest people. That doesn’t happen very o ..read more

The Rise of the “New Collar” Workforce The Power of an Idea In the closing months of 2016, a novel term began to echo through the corridors of the tech industry, heralding a significant shift in the employment landscape. Coined by Ginni Rometty, IBM’s then-CEO, “new collar” entered the lexicon, encapsulating a burgeoning trend that sought to redefine professional success. Rometty’s advocacy shone a light on the transformative nature of the labor market, drawing attention to an emerging breed of jobs that prized skill and capability over the pedigree of a traditional college education. At th ..read more

The Hitler Paradox:  A Personal Conversation with Adolph Hitler and Its Far-Reaching Consequences Our understanding of history is about to be transformed! Introduction: A Brief Overview The year is 2028. We find ourselves in the midst of a technological golden age, an era where artificial intelligence and virtual reality are as integral to our existence as the air we breathe. These advancements are not confined to the esoteric areas of tech companies or the silver screens of cinemas; they are woven into the fabric of everyday living, reshaping even the most familiar institutions. Amon ..read more

The Coming AI Job Explosion AI is making each of us exponentially more capable, which will cause us to take on exponentially bigger projects! Counter to most people’s thinking that AI will be used to kill jobs and reduce our workforce, AI will instead become the greatest job creator of all time. AI will make each of us exponentially more capable and exponentially more accomplished, and for this reason, we will begin to take on exponentially bigger projects. It will open the door to mega projects, even giga projects. All this activity will spawn exponentially more startups, with each of th ..read more

Eight Trends in the Evolving Universe of Generative AI in 2024 The year 2023 marked the public debut of generative AI as a technological marvel. Systems like DALL-E 2 and GPT-3 captivated audiences by producing remarkably human-like synthetic content with just a few prompts. But as astonishing as these capabilities seem today, 2024 is likely to usher in even more seismic transformations as generative AI proliferates across industries. Here are eight of the key trends that will be guiding the explosive growth of AI over the coming year. 1. Bigger, Better and Faster Foundation Models Thus far ..read more

Conversations with a BuddyBot In the not-so-distant future, the integration of artificial intelligence into our daily lives has evolved beyond mere task management. These AIs, often referred to as BuddyBots, are designed to cater to the emotional and relational aspects of our existence, making them less of a machine and more of a confidante. While there are countless individuals who benefit from the companionship of their BuddyBots, the relationship between Jordan and his AI stands out as a unique testament to how technology can not only simplify life but also add depth to our human experi ..read more

Phygital Convergence – Where the Digital and Physical Worlds Converge “Phygital convergence” refers to the blending of physical (phy-) and digital (-gital) experiences to create an ecosystem where users can move seamlessly between online and offline worlds. This term and concept represent a new frontier in retail, technology, and other sectors, where businesses are looking to offer an enhanced user experience that integrates the best of both worlds. As we step into stores equipped with Augmented Reality (AR) mirrors that suggest outfits based on personal preferences or scroll through apps ..read more