Ariadne

After the Singularity

Robert Hickson • Nov 13, 2016

• future,
• New Zealand,
• prediction

SingularityU’s summit happens in Christchurch this coming week. It’s purpose is to see how to “… thrive in an exponentially changing world” I’m not a fan of SingularityU. They seem overly enamoured with exponential change, rather than taking a more considered approach to looking towards the future. However, as an event to highlight emerging technological trends it is … Read More

AI, why?

Robert Hickson • Oct 14, 2016

• AI,
• artificial intelligence,
• future of work,
• policy,
• regulation,
• systems thinking

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days, especially in opinion pieces and reports to or from governments. It’s almost like you need IBM Watson Analytics to keep up with it all. Here’s a sampling from the last week or so. Venture Capitalist Marc Andreessen notes that it’s a new architecture not just a new feature. Andrew Ng, chief … Read More

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Cellular ag

Robert Hickson • Oct 12, 2016

• farming systems,
• food,
• future,
• innovation,
• meat,
• New Zealand,
• Sustainability

A US meat company is now an investor in vegan burgers, and selling them alongside meat patties. That’s just one of the signals pointing to big changes in food production systems in affluent nations. Lab-grown meat gets the headlines, but burgers made from plant proteins are well ahead of that, and likely to have a much lower yuck … Read More

Electric dreams of sheep

Robert Hickson • Oct 05, 2016

• artificial intelligence,
• brain,
• dreams,
• Mind,
• neuroscience

At the moment there is more attention given to, and concern about, machines getting smarter than us. But there is also research going on which possibly, probably, definitely (depending on your source) will make us smarter, stronger, and/or creative. This short video interested me for two reasons.   Firstly, the suggestion that by tapping electronically into our dreams we could … Read More

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Adapting to disruptions

Robert Hickson • Sep 26, 2016

• alternative energy,
• community,
• disruption,
• energy,
• innovation

The Economist magazine and EY (the consultancy firm formerly known as Ernst & Young) have been producing a range of videos recently about industries facing significant change. This one about alternative energy is well worth a look (15 minutes of your time).     The two key points I took away from it are: “Big oil” is far from … Read More

The silent “y” in futures

Robert Hickson • Sep 23, 2016

• farming,
• foresight,
• futures methodology,
• strategy

Many discussions about the future are about “what?” and “how?” What will … [insert favourite industry or issue here] … look like? How will we … [insert favourite activity] … in the future? The outcomes are usually lists or descriptions. These are fundamentally second order futures questions. They are a consequence of a need for answers in the face of … Read More

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Technological socialism

Robert Hickson • Aug 31, 2016

• economics,
• political,
• Silicon Valley,
• socialism,
• Society,
• technological determinism,
• technology

Letting technology take more care of us will give us better lives. That’s the thesis of “technological socialism” proposed by entrepreneur Peter Diamandis. Despite Bernie Sanders, it is still interesting to see the term “socialism” used with a positive intent in the US. There are two main questions here: are technologies and their applications making things … Read More

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OK, computer

Robert Hickson • Aug 24, 2016

• behaviour,
• computing,
• design,
• robotics,
• voice recognition

Ten years ago we were largely communicating with computers through key pads and mice. Then came touch screens, and more recently voice recognition systems such as  Siri, Google Now, and Cortana. Tim O’Reilly has written a good article on LinkedIn about the voice recognition technology that sits within Amazon’s Echo, and what it signals for the future. O’Reilly makes … Read More

The next 90 years

Robert Hickson • Jun 26, 2016

• foresight,
• future,
• prediction,
• Society

In my previous post I noted that the last 90 years saw a tremendous amount of change. Are the next 90 going to be as, or more, turbulent? Or as “golden”? Given that no one in 1926 could predict what the world in 2016 would be like, what’s the point now of looking ahead? One reason is … Read More

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The last 90 years

Robert Hickson • Jun 06, 2016

• Economy,
• History,
• Society,
• trends

Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith is officially 90. Happy Birthday Ma’am. What are some of the most significant changes that have happened during her life, and what could we expect over the next 90 years? 1926 to 2016 … Read More