5 Minutes into the Future: Episode 4 In this episode, I talk about the six technologies that will transform every business in the coming years: Artificial Intelligence Sensors 5G and satellite networks Autonomous Machines Blockchain technology Augmented and mixed reality ..read more

5 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE: EPISODE 3 The most successful automation projects seek to elevate human capabilities by combining human and machine intelligence. Workers will use technology to give themselves "superpowers". Artificial intelligence and augmented reality will give them ability to learn new tasks on the go. AI will boost their creativity, imagination, intuition, and decision-making abilities. And exoskeletons and cobots will boost their strength and endurance. A new type of hybrid worker is emerging, part human and part machine intelligence, an augmented reality worker. These workers ..read more

One of the many challenges leaders will have to grapple with in the coming months and years is how to use technology to streamline operations, boost efficiency, and build resilience into their business. The pandemic is sure to dramatically accelerate both automation and digital transformation efforts in EVERY industry. An important thing to think about is the difference between task automation…taking a task that was previously performed by a human and doing it with a machine (an AI or a robot), and using tech to elevate the work of humans. To support them by augmenting their capabilities. Her ..read more

I’ve been to many Consumer Electronics Shows over the years. I’ve done booth duty, I’ve spoken on panel sessions, and of course I’ve walked the halls. This year, after I’d spoken at a couple of future-focused panels, I took 4-5 hours to roam with the nerd herd and see as much of the latest CES tech as I could.There was a lot of rubbish. But that’s always the case at every CES.As a futurist scanning the floor of CES, I’m looking for the signals amongst the significant amount of noise. These signals point us toward the longer-term directions of the industry and illustrate which ideas are stickin ..read more

I've loved taking photographs since I was a kid. Back then I took pretty terrible photographs with my Kodak Disc Camera. In more recent times, I still enjoy snapping images and occasionally get out with my Digital SLR and try to get a bit arty or capture a cool fleeting moment in time. Like most people, the vast majority of the pictures that I capture are taken with my phone. And they're not bad, especially with the latest phones. The great news is that photography is about to get a LOT better. A few years from now, it'll b ..read more

Machines must make us better humans. Machines must also make all our companies better businesses, too. In the era of AI, every businesses will need a clearly-stated core purpose to help them navigate the impending automation tsunami. Let me explain. Machines must make us better humansThat was the core idea of a slightly rambling TED Talk that I gave a few years back. That simple idea, perhaps more relevant today than it has ever been, hides a much deeper and more important question: What does being it mean to be a "better human"?For each of us, the answer to that question will be different; We ..read more

A futurist's thoughts on 2018 Happy New Year! It looks like 2018 will be a HUGE year in technology. Let's take a look at a few of the biggest areas of innovation that I'll be tracking this year. These are the areas that will not only increase their impact during 2018, but are the ones most likely to lead to longer term disruption over the coming decade.Artificial intelligence continues to disrupt AI continues to shape the future of every business. In 201 ..read more

I recently had the distinct pleasure of being in the room when my friend, Lyle Becker, first got to try out VR. I wrote about the experience in a recent post. Just think about the incredible technological change that Lyle has seen in his 100 years on the planet.Video is often able to tell a story even better than you can with words and photographs. A couple of my old buddies in Intel's internal communications team were there with Lyle to capture the moment. They put together a really nice video (Running time 1:48) that shows Lyle adventure into virtual reality. You can spot me lurking in the b ..read more

When I first met Lyle Becker he was just 80 years-old and virtual reality as we understand it today was largely still the stuff of science fiction. Two decades later, my friend Lyle is a feisty centenarian. And today he gets to try VR for the very first time. Surrounded by friends, family, and several Intel employees, Lyle gets ready for his first adventure into virtual reality, inside a secret VR lab at Intel's campus in Oregon. Lyle is the liveliest 100 year-old per ..read more

We're in the middle of the vacation season, I've been traveling quite a bit for work, and I also spent a couple of weeks in Europe to celebrate a milestone birthday (21 again). As a result, the Bald Blog has suffered with no new content for about six weeks. Shame on me,By way of a makeup, here's a link to a podcast of an interview that I did earlier this week for the PDX Executive Podcast with Dan Bruton. In it we discuss what a futurist does, and then go on to discuss a range of topics including: the future of media, blockchain, how industry sectors are now colliding, and why I choose to live ..read more