Building meaningful futures - Issue #4
“What are your values?” is one of my favourite questions I ask business leaders these days on my business trips. I am always surprised of how few of them can actually name the values by which they live by or that are representative for the company - Sign ‘O’ the Times? Most of the answers go by “creating great products” to “making people’s lives easier” or “contributing to a better world”, etc. Each one of them used to sound ok till recently but now I cannot take them as quite sufficient anymore to fit in my personal or professional narrative.
I think we all need to start doing better; we’re in a period in time where ‘good enough’ is just not good enough anymore.
At the Socratic Design Workshop, run by Humberto Schwab in London last week, an enthusiastic group of entrepreneurs, academics and executives from Belgium, The Netherlands, Turkey, UK and USA, designed some of the following values by which they want to live by and build their futures upon: Children, Truth, Curiosity, Learning, Freedom, Integrity, Heart, Joy and Wondering; all definitely introducing a new direction in designing the future of business.
The key question, put forward by the group, we worked on during the workshop was “What will be the future of Europe?”
During a Socratic dialogue, we could move together through the exercise of listening and argumentation, exploring different angles and come to a joint conclusion. Europe is basically a brand of social equality, human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, individual protection against governments and cultural diversity.
Moreover, the societies of the Member States are characterised by pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men. Building the European Union has been a process that transcends from the Antiquity, the Renaissance period, the Age of Enlightenment and the French Revolution and still develops new concepts like protecting the rights for persons belonging to minorities.
Reflecting on Europe and its place in the world, we realised that with the coming of exponential technologies to business and society, Europe has potentially the strongest answer to societies’ future challenges of, for example, the automation of everything, robotics and artificial intelligence. The opportunities for Europe lies in the further development of humanity in all its richness, and even bring a stronger focus on BUILDING, learning and development, and on the meta cultural capacities humans have.
The European values become of greater importance in this world of further polarisation around us. The workshop group believes it’s worthwhile protecting those values.
What about you? What are your values for the future and your business? Do you keep doing business as usual or are you changing your strategies for the future?
Ping me anytime if you want to start a conversation on this topic.
Random great reads of the week
What if jobs are not the solution but the problem?
Economists believe in full employment. Americans think that work builds character. But what if jobs aren’t working anymore?
Silicon Valley Has an Empathy Vacuum
Silicon Valley’s biggest failing is the distinct lack of empathy for those whose lives are disturbed by its technological wizardry, Om Malik writes.
Programming human beings to build a hate-free Internet
Resisting the urge to censor does not mean being passive in the face of hate speech. We should proactively seek to influence cultural evolution, much as humans have always done with biological evolution. Individual online users can help by sharing messages of positivity and humanity from the many individuals and sites that generate them. Read how Riot Games and Nextdoor, as well as organisations like Games for Change, use software-based gaming models to produce positive social outcomes.
I don’t belong in tech
Great read by Saron Yitbarek, developer and creator of CodeNewbie on how she’s trying to find her place in the place she loves: “It should be precious. It should be handled with care, but the carelessness I see in tech is unsettling. The wilful ignorance, the rejection of our relationship, hurts.”
Culture of Harassment
27% of all American internet users self-censor what they post online out of fear of online harassment. Young people are especially prone to self-censorship. Danah Boyd on the culture of online harassment.
This is the most dangerous time for our planet
Stephen Hawking on the coming challenges for humanity: “With not only jobs but entire industries disappearing, we must help people to retrain for a new world and support them financially while they do so. If communities and economies cannot cope with current levels of migration, we must do more to encourage global development, as that is the only way that the migratory millions will be persuaded to seek their future at home.”
Trends 2017
It'a that time of the year again where predictions for the next year in every sector will fill our screens. Just a note for anyone making predictions for 2017: most if not all 2016 predictions were flat out wrong: economic, political, tech bubbles, etc. You can still read my 2016 and many other predictions.
Gartner's Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2017
AI and machine learning have reached a critical tipping point and will increasingly augment and extend virtually every technology enabled service, thing or application. Creating intelligent systems that learn, adapt and potentially act autonomously rather than simply execute predefined instructions is primary battleground for technology vendors through at least 2020.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence, Revealed
The idea of intelligent machines has fascinated people for centuries. And while it may seem like something out of science fiction, people today use artificial intelligence every day in their smartphones, houses, cars and more. It’s becoming more and more prevalent in our world. Yann LeCun, head of AI research at Facebook, explains in 6 videos some of the key AI concepts that make all of this possible and why you should care.
Google Translate's AI has created its own 'artificial language' known as interlingua
The technology used in Google Translate can identify hidden material between languages to create what’s known as interlingua. Google has previously taught its artificial intelligence to play games, and it’s even capable of creating its own encryption. Now, its language translation tool has used machine learning to create a ‘language’ all of its own. Will we be able to understand this new machine-generated language?
Self-driving cars
Car Wars
A self-driving car is a computer you put your body in
In this work of speculative fiction author Cory Doctorow takes us into a near future where the roads are solely populated by self-driving cars.
Culture
What’s wrong with infidelity?
Americans are increasingly intolerant of adultery, but Esther Perel believes they should take a more European attitude. Emily Bobrow met the country’s most celebrated – and controversial – relationship guru
Weapon Of Mass Instruction: Artist Creates A Tank That Delivers Free Books
Raul Lemesoff, an eccentric artist in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has created a bizarre tank-like ‘Weapon Of Mass Instruction’ that he intends to use to battle ignorance and spread knowledge.
Cyber Culture
The pedlars of fake news are corroding democracy
If most adults get their news from Facebook we need laws to make the social networks accountable
Delete yourself from the internet by pressing this button
The internet can be horrible, and it isn’t weird to sometimes feel like you want to leave. But there’s wasn’t an easy way out, until now.
Robot babies from Japan raise all sorts of questions about how parents bond with AI
The use of social robots in general raises many issues, both ethical and technical. The problem of declining birthrates is, however, a real and growing problem in a number of nations. Robot babies may not directly prove to be a solution, but it may lead to research that offers better understanding and insight into the problem of birthrate decline.
Cyber Crime
Worldwide Cyber-Crime Network Targeted by Coordinated Police Raid
One of the world’s biggest networks of hijacked computers, which is suspected of attacking online banking customers, has been targeted by police swoops in 10 countries, German police said on Thursday.
Yes, the U.K. now has a law to log web users’ browsing behavior, hack devices and limit encryption
A bill that has been described as the most extreme surveillance legislation ever passed in a democracy has this week passed into law in the U.K., never having faced substantial opposition.
Art
Abstract Expressionism Exhibition at Royal Academy of Arts, London
Exploring an unparalleled period in American art, this long-awaited exhibition reveals the full breadth of a movement that will forever be associated with the boundless creative energy of 1950s New York. It’s an absolute thrill to see the wildly beautiful art of Pollock, Rothko, De Kooning etc. up close. Go and see this if you can, the exhibition runs till January 2 2017.
Smart Cities
IoT sense and (in)security
My latest opinion piece for Smart Cities World.
Amsterdam has created a free Airbnb for city-owned buildings
Amsterdam has developed an Airbnb for city-owned offices, so residents can use them for free, and may do the same with municipal cars and tools.
Expert Michel Bauwens researches Ghent as the ‘commons city of the future’
A Commons Transition Plan will describe the role and possibilities for the City of Ghent in reinforcing citizen initiatives.
Innovation
Growing food with seawater and solar power
World’s first mass-scale facility that grows tomatoes without soil, fresh water, or fossil fuels launches in Australia.
Diamond Batteries Made of Nuclear Waste Can Generate Power For Thousands of Years
Scientist have developed an ingenious means of converting nuclear power plant waste (76,430 metric tons in the US alone) into sustainable diamond batteries. These long-lasting batteries could be a clean and safe way to power spacecraft, satellites, and even medical devices.
The State of European Tech: The best time to be an entrepreneur
A new report from Atomico and Slush examines the state of the European tech ecosystem, shining a light on funding, exits, and talent.
Learning
Teaching Students Philosophy Will Improve Their Academic Performance, Shows Study
A recent study demonstrates significant benefits of teaching young students philosophy.
What are the top 10 philosophical ideas that everyone should understand?
The overarching idea behind this answer is a form of metacognition, or in other words, cognition about cognition, exemplified by my personal brand of Theory of Mind.
Biofabrication
Brisbane Hospital Gets Dedicated 3D-Printing Tissue Room
QUT is in the process of constructing a “biofabrication” room meant for 3D printing bone, cartilage and other human tissue as it is needed.
Digital Transformation
Why Digital Transformation Needs a Heart
Digital transformation has been positive in many ways, but some long-term trends are troubling.
Blockchain
Blockchain has the potential to revolutionize the supply chain
The blockchain has the potential to transform the supply chain and disrupt the way we produce, market, purchase and consume our goods. The added transparency, traceability and security to the supply chain can go a long way toward making our economies safer and much more reliable by promoting trust and honesty, and preventing the implementation of questionable practices.
Tribes
Mark Plotkin: Maps, Magic and Medicine in the Rainforest
Mark Plotkin, groundbreaking ethnobotanist and author of seminal books including “Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice”, works closely with Indigenous peoples and uncontacted tribes in the northwest Amazon. As co-founder of the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) in 1995, he depicts ACT’s work partnering with over 30 South American tribes, including the Kogi, to map, manage and protect over 70 million acres of ancestral forests.
Embrace of the Serpent
Go and see this movie if you haven’t seen it yet. Directed by Ciro Guerra. With Nilbio Torres, Jan Bijvoet, Antonio Bolivar, Brionne Davis. The story of the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together over the course of 40 years to search the Amazon for a sacred healing plant.