I wanted to share two recent great examples of embracing the future. When I read about these two examples, the thought coming into my head was - “some organisations talked about innovation, while others just do it”. Sure these are still very early days for both these examples but the organisations working with these technologies are going to learn a lot and will shape the way forward.
Example # 1. Trialling the use of Pepper the robot as an “intern” in Townsville Hospital by Queensland Health, Australia
This initiative will look into the utility of this technology in a ward healthcare setting. The trial is for 5 weeks. This Australian trial now joins a number of other trials in Belgian and Canadian hospitals on how this technology can be part of the healthcare delivery system. This trial should not only be about the technology and its potential impact on the future of work. This trial is an opportunity for Queensland Health and especially Townsville Hospital decision makers through collective learning work on the broader implications for Queensland communities. Dialogue and sharing with Belgian and Canadian colleagues would add to the learning and insights.
Here is the link - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-24/townsville-hospital-trials-robot-helper/10157200
Example#2 . Teaching school children in New Zealand school about new renewable energy.
This is a great initiative to demonstrate how a digital avatar interacts with school children about a range of topic on renewable energy (solar and wind power). Watch the interaction between the school children with Will the avatar and watch what happens when the real Will appears in the classroom. The company behind this amazing technology, Soul Machines have numerous avatars for different industries including healthcare.
Here is the link - https://www.soulmachines.com/news/2018/8/13/meet-will-vectors-new-renewable-energy-educator-in-schools
In 2038 – twenty year time
Looking out to 2038 (20 year time), such technologies will likely be the norm. No one can stop the future and those who can imagine and embrace the future, gets to shape it. Those that don’t, well the future will still arrive and they will still be part of that future but their experience and journey will be more difficult.
There are many questions that need answers and such trials will provide answers to some of them. The challenge is for politicians, policy makers, funders, professionals, providers, unions, employers, academics and civil society to keep an open mind and engage constructively. The reality will be that not all questions can be answered and some will need to be uncovered as these technologies are deployed. The above two examples and other technologies that could have even greater implications like CRISPR/Cas9, the gene-editing technology poses many ethical, moral, security, economic and social questions. In the end, many of these can only be answered through deliberate and careful actions.
How ready is your organisation for the future?
How ready are you and your organisation to make that transition? Have a look at the items on the agenda of your board or executive meeting? Is there any space that looks to creating the future (building bigger facilities is not it!) If all your organisation’s energy and focus is on solving today’s urgent burning issues, you need to create some deliberate space to discover and imagine what the future could look like. If your immediate reaction to this question is – I do not have time OR I need more resources to able to do the “future thing” your mind-set is already at the wrong starting point. There are plenty of resources out there on the web on this future focus agenda. Here are a few references organisation that have a lot of useful materials that might help (but in the end you have to want to do this with an open mind):
Singularity
Futurism
Forbes
Wired
McKinsey, PwC. EY, Deloittes
HBR and Economist
Clarity of purpose and values driving innovation
Reading and getting an understanding of what’s coming is a start but in the end it is the doing that takes us forward. That is why I like the two examples above. The purpose and values of improving well-being, access, affordability with relevance and dignity needs to anchor the call to act. Embracing all the potentially impactful technologies is more than having the first mover advantage or being the first have the next shiny thing. The motivation needs to be driven by using these new technologies to help us solve not exacerbate current global challenges of disparities, inequity, affordable access to education and health care.
The skeptics of innovations often advocate that these new technologies could potentially threaten and widen these societal gaps. The proponents of new technologies need to keep these purpose and values front and center and learn new and better ways to communicate these intentions in their endeavors.
Innovation and its enemies – why people resist new technologies
This book by Calestous Juma is worth reading for those of us interested to understand the issues and the way forward for adopting innovation and understanding why some peo[le resist innovations. There are many excellent points made in the book and two of them in the last chapter is worth noting :
“old design patterns are usually not a good predictor of what comes next. Keeping the future open and experimenting in an inclusive and transparent way is more rewarding than imposing the dictum of old patterns”.
I hope future policymakers will pay greater attention to the disjuncture between rapid technological innovation and slow pace of institutional adjustment.
Final words
There has, is and always will be tension when the future pushes hard against today. Both the incumbent and the innovators have a mutual responsibility not to unnecessarily frustrate progress or recklessly and deliberately put citizens in harm’s way. For today’s decision makers that are looking up, around and out, and see the future coming at a furious and exponential rate, do not let history record that you were merely observers. Rather you shaped the future anchored and driven by the greater good purpose and values of equity and fairness especially for those who cannot or are unable to speak for themselves.