My 2022 Vision

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an overnight transformation of traditional business structures to digitalized systems. Those unable to provide an online experience similar to or better than the traditional in-person experience were quickly forced out of business. For instance, in response to social distancing protocol, IKEA, a popular furniture store designed to provide an engaging and visionary in-store experience, had to quickly reform their operating model to serve an online experience to prevent going out of business.

In order to tackle this challenge, IKEA used a combination of data, analytics, and AI/ML algorithms to closely study users’ tastes, preferences, and patterns that eased a customer journeys. Rather than browsing the entire store for a single item, a user can simply input their desire into the search bar, greatly reducing the amount of time spent. Additionally rather than having in-store associates help customers shop for specific items, recommendation algorithms are able to accurately provide similar suggestions, easing the decision-making process.

Algorithms also hold the advantage of handling large scale — more traffic, no problem! I mean think about it: Instagram has over 2 BILLION users operating on a single platform that optimizes growth through algorithms. Imagine handling 2 billion customers in person… absolute chaos! Yet these algorithms are able to provide a successful, predictable user experience.

Industries are now using data, analytics, and AI/ML to run their businesses and are experiencing exponential growth! Using algorithms to provide better user experiences, industries are reaching unprecedented levels of scale, scope, and learning, but with their unconstrained growth come challenges, such as privacy, fake news, and bias. AI-driven firms pose new threats that previous traditionally corporate leaders never dealt with, given that their impact was limited to their organization’s containable size.

Algorithms learn based off of user data, and the truth is that our use of technology is unconscious.

What does unconscious use of technology look like?

In his piece Very Eyes, John Trudell remarks on the tradeoff between the advancement of technology and the destruction of our habitats and natural states of being:

We often forget that we are human beings. By observing and learning from the being-ness of others, we are creatures of imitation and form like habits and patterns. Advanced and evolved forms of being have been passed down for generations and date way back to our ancestors. From our ancestors, we learned how to participate in life on this planet, not try to rule it. A sense of dictatorship arrived at the same time techno-logic civilizations developed.

All of a sudden, a small technological device is capable of exhibiting intelligence, resulting in the entire species to rely on its usage —

You have a stomach ache? Ask Google for advice.
You got a lot on your chest? Express it in a tweet.
You captured a “picture-perfect” moment of your life? Share it on Instagram.

We trust the output of algorithms more than we trust our very own intuition, so it is imperative that we create a harmonious and reliable online world.

Unconscious use of technology has led to more hate than love, fear than strength, and separation than connection. Consuming the attention of our minds, outlets like social media keep us in fear, rage, and resistance through the spread of misinformation, miscommunication, and deception.

Technological outlets have successfully eased communication across the globe, but at a cost — our attention. We are frequently overwhelmed with too much information! On top of that, it doesn’t help that our brain is programmed to pay attention to rapidly changing stimuli because overconsumption of media allows for little to no moments of stillness, where we feel at peace and satisfied in the present moment…where feelings of fear, envy, and hate don’t exist: in the absence of these feelings, a new world is born — one of cooperation, collaboration, and connection. And right now, our world needs is more than ever.

We must embrace this new age of AI by investing in understanding and creating new strategies that will lead to a more conscious and mindful world. This will not be possible without enlightened leadership. It’s unfortunate that despite the statistical certainty that wearing masks avoids the spread of the COVID-19 infection, many leaders choose to not acknowledge and enforce necessary protocol.

We must reinstall the collective’s faith in technology. Rather than opposing the tremendous powers of technology, we must understand, own, and shape it. Reforms in educational systems to birth more conscious and ethical leaders is absolutely necessary. This is a transformation we are currently going through, and now is the time to become more aware of the world around us and see how improving our relationship with technology. It is a time to remain open-minded, release your limiting beliefs about technology, and come together to craft a bright vision. A time to end needless suffering, and to become one again.

Technology continues to advance at a rapid pace. Leading tech companies are now discussing The “Metaverse”: a 3D virtual environment through which a whole separate reality can be experienced. It is important that our role in the Metaverse is conscious. The Metaverse allows human beings to experience a limitless virtual world, potentially creating new norms and societal standards. Just as the introduction of social media transformed communication across the planet, the Metaverse is likely to transform our perception of reality. Therefore, it is important that we approach technology consciously, aware of its immense power and potential to rapidly advance us intellectually as a species.

Join me in this vision to bringing consciousness to the tech world, and start by asking yourself —“How can I improve my relationship with technology?”

Thank you.

Resources:

Iansiti, Marco, and Karim R. Lakhani. Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World. Harvard Business Review Press, 2020.

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