Future Today Institute

Is the #smartphone era coming to an end? 📱🧐 Future Today Institute first suggested its decline all the way back in 2017. As our Founder and CEO Amy Webb shared in a recent interview with El Pais, "If we think about the next decade, instead of using just a phone there will be many different devices. And these devices will replace the smartphone. This has already started to happen." #AI and the "connected ecosystem of things" are highlighted in FTI's #supercycle theory, which describes how the convergence of three general purpose technologies has catalyzed a period of innovation that will transform entire societies. 🔍 Key insights from the article: -Smartphones are no longer the only game in town. Sales are declining as AI Pins, smart glasses and other innovative devices emerge. -AI promises to revolutionize our habits, making voice commands and virtual assistants more prominent. -Despite the rise of visual culture through apps like Instagram and TikTok, the role of smartphones is expected to diminish as we rely more on wearable tech and voice interfaces. #FTIForesaw 🔮

Signal Spotlight 🔍 : Luxury fashion brands have started incorporating NFTs and NFC (Near Field Communication) Tags in their products. The latest is Payal Singhal, a South Asian fashion house. Payal Singhal recently announced an innovative partnership with tech platform, Endstate. Together, they are pioneering new ways to connect with consumer brands beyond traditional marketing channels. The Payal Singhal x Endstate collection launched it's newest product this month, embedding NFC tags into sneakers, creating a "Phygital" exprience. This integration marks a significant evolution in consumer engagement and brand marketing within the fashion sector. By linking physical products with digital assets, brands can use NFC technology to allow consumers to access exclusive content, virtual experiences and authentication details simply by tapping their smart phones. Additionally, in conjunction with blockchain, brands can track a product's journey throughout the supply chain. As companies continue to explore the possibility of NFC technology, it is poised to have a growing impact on customer experiences and brand strategies. #NFC #NFT #Blockchain #FashionIndustry #Signals #Wearables

Future Today Institute is proud to announce that it has developed a course, in partnership with the International Interior Design Association (#IIDA), to bring strategic foresight to the commercial #interiordesign industry. The course will be aimed at all members of the design industry, including manufacturers, dealers, real estate developers and designers themselves, among others. In an industry known for being future-focused and alongside an organization that has always had the future at its heart, FTI has taken its methodology and added new frameworks and activities that align with the design process. The work was performed by our built environment practice lead and IIDA Futurist-in-Residence, Mark Bryan, who has two decades of industry experience. IIDA will work to offer the self-paced course to both members and non-members in 2025. Find out more by visiting IIDA's website and sign-up today to stay on top of future announcements! 🌟

A prediction published in The Mirror from 1919 that turned out to be surprisingly accurate...

#FTIForesaw 🔮 In the News + Information book of our 2024 Tech Trends Report, Sam Guzik described a future in which #AI creates user-specific news briefings - aggregating information not just from social media, traditional press, stock markets and government sources but also text messages, emails and calendar invites. In this future, "Tech companies celebrate how this new feature drives user retention" because their devices are now central to the consumer's perception of the world. At yesterday's Worldwide Developers Conference, #Apple announced a suite of AI features dubbed #AppleIntelligence. These features will have the power to pull data from app to app, delivering a uniquely tailored experience for each individual. This kind of personalization is bolstering the intrinsic value of devices, as Sam suggested in his scenario, and will drive people even further into the Apple ecosystem 📱💻

In facing the unknowable the future, one simple question can make all the difference: "What if?" By asking "what if" questions, we can begin to identify the threats and opportunities in a spectrum of uncertainties. These two words can help prepare us for the unknown. Embrace the power of "what if" in your strategic planning. You'll be more resilient, innovative, and ready to navigate whatever the future holds. 🚀🌟 #StrategicForesight #WhatIf

💡 Groundbreaking new research from Future Today Institute is coming in a few short weeks. In the meantime, here's a preview... The Technology Supercycle The concept of a “supercycle,” rooted in traditional economic theory, refers to an extended phase of heightened demand that significantly drives up the prices of commodities and assets. These periods, spanning years or even decades, catalyze profound and enduring structural transformations within the economy. Historically, economic supercycles have often been triggered by the advent of a single “general purpose technology.” For instance, the Industrial Revolution was spurred by the steam engine, marking a significant economic supercycle. Similarly, the Internet Era, driven by digital technology, constituted another major economic supercycle. However, recent findings from our research indicate a shift in this pattern. Instead of a single technology driving these cycles, we are now witnessing the convergence of three pivotal general purpose technologies: AI, biotechnology, and connected ecosystems of things (think: sensor tech). This triad of technological forces is intricately linked not only to each other but also extends their influence across all existing technologies, encompassing sectors as diverse as science, space, and sports, and permeating every business and facet of daily life. We have entered a Technology Supercycle, which will result in a prolonged period of rapid technological advancements and widespread adoption that significantly transforms economies and societies. The coming wave of innovation is robust and allencompassing, and it is poised to fundamentally reshape our existence in ways that are both positive and problematic. This paradigm shift promises a future that is as exciting as it is challenging, signaling a new era of unprecedented technological integration and economic transformation. Stay tuned for our report and guidance on how to manage through the technology supercycle that's already underway.

#ChatGPT is hitting the books... literally. 📚🤖 The National Library Board, Singapore announced in April an interactive experience called #Playbrary GPT. The text-based "choose your own adventure" game uses public domain literature to put the player into classic scenes from favorites like "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." Meanwhile, #OpenAI has unveiled ChatGPT Edu, offering universities an accessible option to integrate AI into their campuses at scale. According to the company, ChatGPT Edu is "a version of ChatGPT built for universities to responsibly deploy AI to students, faculty, researchers, and campus operations" that offers "enterprise-level security and controls." These signals point to how ChatGPT and other #genAI tools are starting to be utilized in individual sectors with specialized offerings. In #EdTech specifically, we're seeing a move toward increased regulation and responsible use. https://buff.ly/3Vb17hM https://buff.ly/4c0rA8U

Eager to learn more about what we at Future Today Institute have coined the Technology Supercycle? Check out the latest episode of "Technology and People" (or "Teknologi go mennesker" 🇳🇴) from Atea Norge AS and the Oslo Business Forum, featuring our very own Christina von Messling. 🟢 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dtBwM7bG 🟢 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/duk5VAwv In this episode, Christina talks about the intersection of three technologies - AI, biotechnology and the connected ecosystem - and how they are poised to catalyze a fundamental shift in our society 🌎 #technologysupercycle #AI #biotech

Taylor Majewski recently penned a compelling piece for MIT Technology Review about the evolution of #language and the way it shapes how we interact with #technology. She wrote, "If companies are more specific about the people—and, now, AI—they’re building for rather than casually abstracting everything into the idea of 'users,' perhaps our relationship with this technology will feel less manufactured, and it will be easier to accept that we’re inevitably going to exist in tandem." How is our terminology going to shift to reflect deeper, symbiotic relationships?