The Inevitable
An exploration of 12 technological trends shaping our future.
Summary of 12 Key Points
Key Points
- Becoming: The shift from fixed products to always upgrading services and subscriptions
- Cognifying: The rise of smart everything, from toys to cities
- Flowing: The inevitable move towards streaming and real-time feeds
- Screening: The transformation of all media into screens
- Accessing: The preference for accessing over owning
- Sharing: The increasing importance of collaborative consumption
- Filtering: The challenge of personalizing information while avoiding information overload
- Remixing: The blending of products, ideas, and cultures
- Interacting: The evolution of interaction from typing to talking with machines
- Tracking: The expansion of quantified self and data tracking
- Questioning: Questioning assumptions to foster innovation
- Beginning: Embracing change and the inception of new ways of thinking and doing
key point 1 of 12
Becoming: The shift from fixed products to always upgrading services and subscriptions
The concept of ‘Becoming’ is a significant shift in the way we perceive and interact with products or services. In this paradigm, the focus moves away from the ownership of static, unchanging products to a continuous engagement with ever-evolving services. Products and services are no longer viewed as finished entities, but as entities that are constantly evolving, upgrading, and adapting to suit the changing needs and demands of consumers…Read&Listen More
key point 2 of 12
Cognifying: The rise of smart everything, from toys to cities
Cognifying, or making things smarter, is a key future trend explored extensively. It is the process of making objects, systems, and spaces around us more intelligent through the integration of artificial intelligence. This trend is driven by rapid advancements in machine learning and the ever-increasing availability of data. It’s about instilling a certain level of cognitive capability or ‘intelligence’ into the objects we interact with, enabling them to respond, adapt, and potentially even anticipate our needs…Read&Listen More
key point 3 of 12
Flowing: The inevitable move towards streaming and real-time feeds
Flowing refers to the transition towards a world dominated by streaming and real-time feeds. In the past, people were accustomed to owning physical products, such as CDs, DVDs, and books. However, with the rise of the internet and cloud services, we are increasingly shifting towards a ‘streaming’ mode where we no longer own but access services. The main idea behind this shift is that everything is becoming fluid, continuous, and always moving. Things are no longer static but in constant flux…Read&Listen More
key point 4 of 12
Screening: The transformation of all media into screens
The transformation of all media into screens is a profound change, a shift that’s causing a significant disruption to existing mediums. The printed word, for instance, is shifting format from paper to digital screens. This shift is not just about the platform but also changes the nature of reading itself. Readers can now interact with the content more dynamically with features like hyperlinks, comments, and annotations, making the reading experience more engaging and participatory…Read&Listen More
key point 5 of 12
Accessing: The preference for accessing over owning
In our modern digital age, the concept of ownership is undergoing a radical shift. Instead of owning physical things, people are increasingly choosing to access virtual goods and services. For instance, people prefer to stream music and videos online rather than own CDs or DVDs. Similarly, they prefer to use ride-sharing apps instead of owning cars. This shift from owning to accessing is being fueled by the growing ubiquity of the internet and the rise of cloud computing. The internet provides a platform for people to access goods and services instantly and on-demand, while cloud computing allows for the storage and retrieval of large amounts of data…Read&Listen More
key point 6 of 12
Sharing: The increasing importance of collaborative consumption
Collaborative consumption is rapidly gaining prominence as a new economic model. It stems from the fact that with the advent of digital technology, we are moving away from a system of ownership to one where access to goods and services is valued more. In this model, individuals share access to products or services, instead of owning them outright. This shift transforms the traditional economic model of supply and demand into one that is more communal in nature…Read&Listen More
key point 7 of 12
Filtering: The challenge of personalizing information while avoiding information overload
Filtering, as discussed, is a process of customizing and personalizing information to avoid the overwhelming effect of information overload. It’s a way of managing the flood of data that surrounds us, sorting through the noise to find what’s truly important and relevant. It’s about fine-tuning our digital environment to align with our interests, needs, and desires. The challenge lies in the balance – how to filter information in a way that ensures we are not missing out on important or serendipitous discoveries while also not drowning in irrelevant data…Read&Listen More
key point 8 of 12
Remixing: The blending of products, ideas, and cultures
Remixing, in this context, refers to the integration or blending of different product elements, ideas, and cultural aspects to create something new or unique. It’s a concept that thrives on the principle of interconnectivity and cross-pollination of concepts. The products we use, the ideas we harbor, and the cultures we embrace are not static. They continuously evolve, influenced by the diverse elements that come into their orbit…Read&Listen More
key point 9 of 12
Interacting: The evolution of interaction from typing to talking with machines
In the evolution of our interaction with machines, we have moved from the era of typing to an era of more natural ways of communication, such as talking. This shift is the result of continuous advancements in technology and an ever-growing need for more efficient and intuitive ways to interface with our devices. Unlike typing, which requires learning and understanding the structure of a language, talking is a more innate and natural way of communication that we learn from a very young age…Read&Listen More
key point 10 of 12
Tracking: The expansion of quantified self and data tracking
The expansion of quantified self and data tracking is a profound transformation. This perspective emphasizes a shift towards a more concrete, self-aware lifestyle, where individuals constantly track and quantify their habits, behaviors, and personal characteristics. From monitoring sleep patterns, steps walked, calories ingested, heart rate to personal mood, the quantified self movement is about self-improvement through self-awareness. It advocates the belief that gathering more data about ourselves will lead to a better understanding and subsequently, a better self…Read&Listen More
key point 11 of 12
Questioning: Questioning assumptions to foster innovation
Questioning assumptions is an important part of fostering innovation. This approach requires individuals to challenge the accepted norms, beliefs, and processes that have been established within a particular field or discipline. This might involve questioning the efficiency or effectiveness of current practices and suggesting new, potentially risky, methods or ideas. This is a critical step in driving innovation as it allows for the exploration of alternative viewpoints and solutions. ..Read&Listen More
key point 12 of 12
Beginning: Embracing change and the inception of new ways of thinking and doing
The beginning of ‘The Inevitable’ centers around embracing change and adopting new ways of thinking and doing. The narrative underscores the significance of accepting and adapting to change as an inevitable part of life and progress. It emphasizes that clinging to old methodologies and perspectives can hinder personal and societal advancement. ..Read&Listen More