The Future Normal: Fast Forward #4
š§« MIT's breakthrough technologies; š Volvo goes all-electric; š ride-sharing in India š¢ Goldman's vs HSBC on the future of the office and more...
Welcome!
More quick glimpses ofĀ The Future NormalĀ for you. Each one not only hints at whatās around the corner, but also gives us a deeper truth about trends and innovation.
Your challenge: who do you know that can run with these insights? The future is ours to build, together.
MIT Tech Review: 10 Breakthrough Technologies
š®Ā #FutureNormal //Ā From messenger RNA (obviously) to TikTokās algorithm (less obviously) this is a great roundup of the technologies that will shape our near future. Ā
š”#TrendTruth //Ā Inevitably some in the list will disappoint, but if this year has taught us anything, itās that the āglobal brainā can produce truly mind-blowing results. Yes, we face huge challenges, but we are also in a golden age of innovation.
Volvo will only sell electric cars by 2030
š®Ā #FutureNormal //Ā While electric cars themselves are hardly newsworthy any more (although lithium-metal batteries are on MITās list above), it still attracts a lot of attention when a big incumbent commits to the future.
š”#TrendTruth //Ā The transition to electric vehicles is a classic innovation case study in action. Will it be the disruptive startup that comes out on top? Can the current players adapt? Gradual or all-in? Buy or build? What are the second-order consequences of moving to a new paradigm?
Deep Nostalgia allows people to animate photos of their ancestors
š®Ā #FutureNormal //Ā The boundaries between past & present, virtual & ārealā will continue to blur. There will be frivolous use cases (such as here), nefarious ones (#fakenews) as well as some positive ones, I assume ;)
š”#TrendTruth //Ā Whatās crazy is our kids wonāt even think this is remotely interesting, in the same way we donāt think of photos or videos as magical. Ā
For Indian women, rideshare apps are a lifeline
š®Ā #FutureNormal //Ā Technology will continue to challenge ātraditionalā social and cultural structures, as detailed in this amazing photo essay is from Rest of World (which is fast becoming one of my favourite sources). Bigger question: what other longer term spillover effects might this have?
š”#TrendTruth //Ā Uber has been so pilloried in the (Western) press that itās hard to remember sometimes that the truth is always more nuanced. Tech empowers as much as it disempowers.
WFH culture war: HSBC vs Goldman Sachs
š®Ā #FutureNormal //Ā HSBC to cut 40% of its office space as more staff WFH. Goldman boss rejects remote working as an āaberrationā! The K-shaped recovery is everywhere: read the details and HSBC anticipate their support staff will WFH, while the flagship HQs will continue to welcome front-line workers who need to collaborate. Ā
š”#TrendTruth //Ā Thereās always space for two opposing trends to coexist. Context is everything.
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