Kevin Benedict

Intelligence Transformation with Dr. Paul J. Bailo
Import from wordpress feed
April 23, 2024

In this episode, Dr. Paul J. Bailo shares his deep knowledge, learnings and insights on the impact artificial intelligence will have on industries, enterprises and individuals.  A strong advocate for lifelong learning, Dr. Bailo inspires his students to recognize that the world is rapidly chang

Building a Better Society
Import from wordpress feed
April 19, 2024

Many years ago, I graduated with a degree in political science from Portland State University.  Through a long and winding journey working in high tech for companies in Silicon Valley, Seattle, Atlanta, Dublin and Boston, I ultimately moved into the role of being a full time futurist.  One

Building a Better Future
Import from wordpress feed
April 19, 2024

Many years ago, I graduated with a degree in political science from Portland State University.  Through a long and winding journey working in high tech for companies in Silicon Valley, Seattle, Atlanta, Dublin and Boston, I ultimately moved into the role of being a full time futurist.  One

Future Catalysts that Just Might Change Us
Import from wordpress feed
April 08, 2024

A catalyst, in futurist-speak, is a time or event that is so influential that it causes a society to rethink - how they think.  A review of history reveals that our thinking has been shaped by numerous catalysts over time. These major disruptions to our status quo-thinking forced us to reevalua

Future Progress Constrained by Social Media
Import from wordpress feed
April 08, 2024

We all know that the social media complex has problems.  They mess with the mental and emotional health of our children, amplify misinformation, prioritize sensentational information, and distort the world through filtered lenses.  But in addition to all of that, they are slowing our abili

Catalysts that Shaped Human History
Import from wordpress feed
March 28, 2024

Historically, significant shifts in societal mindsets have often been precipitated by disruptive events that create a collective sense of urgency or crisis. These catalysts—whether wars, revolutions, pandemics, or technological breakthroughs—disrupt the status quo to such an extent that the cost

How Beliefs Influence the Future
Import from wordpress feed
March 26, 2024

As a futurist, I spend a lot of time studying history.  Why?  As Aerosmith frontman, Steven Tyler sings, "We are all somebody from somewhere."  And that somewhere is often revealing.  We can see patterns in history.  Patterns that just might extend from the past to the futur

When the World Changed - Art and AI
Import from wordpress feed
March 25, 2024

In this episode, artist and podcaster, April Harris, shares her thoughts and feelings as generative AI changes the world around her.  Join us as we dig deep into the impact AI will have on the world of art.



*I use generative AI to assist in all my work.***************************************

Reading the News Like a Futurist with Alex Whittington
Import from wordpress feed
March 13, 2024

In this episode, my guest is futurist Alex Whittington!  She shares her behind the scenes life as a futurist, and it's impact and influence on how she reads the news, thinks about the world and contemplates the future.   We discuss utopian smart cities, Cobots, podcast recommendations

AI, Eldercare and Innovation with TCS Expert Ved Sen
Import from wordpress feed
March 06, 2024

In this episode, my long time friend Ved Sen joins to talk about AI, the future of jobs, robots and Eldercare, building organizational innovation, AI’s impact on software development lifecycles, and much more.   Ved is the Head of Innovation, TCS UK & Ireland, and brings a wealth of

Healthcare AI with Oracle Expert Suhas Uliyar
Import from wordpress feed
February 21, 2024

In this deep dive, we take a fascinating look at how the artificial intelligence revolution is impacting patient care and medical professionals with Oracle AI expert Suhas Uliyar.  We explore how AI can help in many areas including the roles of: administration, scribes, insurance experts, and e

The Evolution of IoT, Digital Twins and AI with Rob Tiffany
Import from wordpress feed
February 07, 2024

Dive into the future of IoT, AI, and Digital Twins with Rob Tiffany, an expert in digital innovation. As VP and Chief Product Officer at Red Bison, former US Navy submariner, and a seasoned keynote speaker, author, and podcast host, Rob offers unparalleled insights drawn from his rich background in

The Evolution and Future of Information Dissemination
Import from wordpress feed
January 18, 2024

The history of human communication is marked by groundbreaking technological innovations that have reshaped societies. Among these, there are two in particular that stand out, the invention of the printing press in the 15th century and the rise of the digital age in the late 20th and early 21st cent

Ideation Equals Progress: Navigating the Future through Collective Ingenuity
Import from wordpress feed
January 18, 2024

The label of an 'idea factory' bestowed upon our TCS Future of Business team is not just a compliment; it's a testament to the power of innovative thinking that has historically shaped civilizations and will continue to mold our future. Every monumental leap, from the pyramids of Egypt to the digita

Using Physics to Understand the Future
Import from wordpress feed
January 18, 2024

"While there can be surprise technological and market disruptions, classical Newtonian mechanical physics’ suggestions that trajectories are the flight paths determined by mass positioning, direction, and momentum as a function of time can help us make accurate predictions." ~ Jeffrey A. Sonnenfel

Embedding Ourselves into AI
Linkedln
January 17, 2024

I anticipate that artificial intelligence (AI) is going to motivate many of us to face and question our own belief systems. I have a poll open on LinkedIn right now to learn how others feel. As more autonomous systems and AI powered decision-making gets developed and implemented, us humans are going to need to answer some increasingly deep questions about what societal values and preferences we desire to embed in our systems.

Mastering the Art of Decision-Making:Navigating Complexity and Speed in Modern Leadership
Import from wordpress feed
January 17, 2024

In today's rapidly changing leadership landscape, the ability to understand and execute good decisions quickly has evolved from a skill to a critical necessity. Leaders are now compelled to adopt a formalized approach to decision-making, anchored in an efficiently optimized information logistics sys

The Convergence of Human Bias and AI in Shaping Our Future
Import from wordpress feed
January 17, 2024

In his insightful book, "The Loop", NBC News technology correspondent Jacob Ward delves into a pressing issue of our times: the interplay between our evolutionary instincts, biases, and the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI). Ward's analysis rings especially true for professionals grap

A Futurist Pondering Biological vs. Digital Learning
Import from wordpress feed
January 16, 2024

Every futurist I know seems to be emphasizing that the speed of change is accelerating. Are you hearing the same thing? Have you ever pondered why that might be the case? There are many reasons given including the famous phrase by Marc Andreessen, "Software is eating the world," so in this article w

Launchpads and Convergences
Import from wordpress feed
January 16, 2024

In my last article, I wrote about the concept of launchpad technologies and their ability to shape our future.  These are technologies that fit the following criteria:Broad Applicability: Technologies that can be applied across a wide range of industries and disciplines.Potential for Disruption

Launchpad Technologies
Import from wordpress feed
January 10, 2024

In TCS's Future of Business team, we closely track over 350 trends, technologies and developments.  While all are interesting and important, not all of them will equally shape our future.  Some innovations are useful improvements, but have limited impact on human history.  Others, lik

Chain of Development
Import from wordpress feed
January 09, 2024

Throughout human history, the story of progress is a tapestry woven with the threads of innovation, where each development is intrinsically connected to its predecessor, serving as a launchpad for the next. Let’s delve deeper into this fascinating narrative, extending our exploration to illustrate

AI in Supply Chain Management with Expert Joe Carson
Import from wordpress feed
January 09, 2024

In this episode of FOBtv, our guest is supply chain guru Joe Carson.  I invited Joe to this program to help us understand the convergence of artificial intelligence and supply chain planning and management and how the world will change as a result of this convergence.  Artificial intellige

Are Humans Part of a Larger Superorganism?
Import from wordpress feed
January 08, 2024

I find the author and futurist Byron Reese's work fascinating.  He stretches my mind with every book he writes.  In this interview, Byron and I discuss his new book, "We are Agora, How Humanity Functions as a Single Superorganism That Shapes Our World and Our Future."  In this book By

Lenses for Time, Distance and Knowledge
Import from wordpress feed
December 15, 2023

Many of us wear glasses or contacts, and these lenses have changed our lives for the better.  Many of our daily tasks and jobs simply require good eyesight, to read, drive, inspect, monitor, track our kids, and manage operations.  Many of us would age out of our jobs, not because of our me

The Art and Science of Managing Supply Chain Risk
Regalix.tv
November 15, 2018

In this interview, supply chain risk and sustainability expert and SAP Ariba Global Vice President, Padmini Ranganathan, shares her knowledge, insights and experiences with us. She updates us on the latest trends in SCM and shares where the industry is heading.

TCS London Marathon Running Show with Bill Quinn | Future of Business
Import from youtube.com
April 23, 2024

Expert Paul J Bailo on Intelligence Transformation | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
April 23, 2024

AI Emotional intelligence and Health Care
Import from youtube.com
April 01, 2024

When the World Changed, Artists and AI with Expert April Harris | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
March 21, 2024

Reading the News Headlines Like a Futurist with Expert Alex Whittington | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
March 12, 2024

AI, Eldercare and Innovation with Expert Ved Sen | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
March 05, 2024

Healthcare AI with Oracle Expert Suhas Uliyar | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
February 19, 2024

Evolution of IoT, Digital Twins and AI with Rob Tiffany | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
February 07, 2024

AI in Supply Chain Management with Expert Joe Carson | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
January 09, 2024

How Humanity Functions as a Single SuperOrganism with Byron Reese | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
January 05, 2024

Digital Twins Post-Race with Bill Quinn | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
November 29, 2023

Optimizing Personal Performances with Digital Twins with Expert Bill Quinn| FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
November 03, 2023

Research on the Future of Sustainability with Manish Kirtania and Dr. Himadri Pramanik | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
October 06, 2023

New interview with Expert Mark Bramwell #cio #saidbusinessschool #oxford #highereducation #ai
Import from youtube.com
August 03, 2023

Higher Education: Pandemic Impact, Cybersecurity and Generative AI with Expert Mark Bramwell | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
August 02, 2023

Understanding Risk in Cyber Security with Expert Bob Parisi | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
June 27, 2023

A View from the Frontlines of Generative AI with Expert Deepak Seth | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
June 22, 2023

A Deep Dive into the Souls of AI and Humans with Expert David Espindola | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
June 02, 2023

Digital Twins and Instantaneous Decision Making with Kevin Benedict | Reimagining the Future
Import from youtube.com
May 17, 2023

A Global Drop In Life Expectancy | Reimagining the Future
Import from youtube.com
March 01, 2023

The Future of Ecosystems | Reimagining the Future
Import from youtube.com
February 02, 2023

How AI will Guide Future M&A Deals with Adam Boostrom | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
February 01, 2023

A Deep Dive into Digital Twin Strategies with Expert Rob Tiffany | FOBtv
Import from youtube.com
January 27, 2023

@GerdLeonhard discusses the future of #socialmedia and #ai with @KevinBenedict
Import from youtube.com
January 25, 2023

#Futurist Alex Whittington on the #futureofwork and how #ai could enable us to pursue our interests
Import from youtube.com
January 23, 2023

Fewer young workers, pandemic-motivated early retirements, inspired searches for a better quality of life, and higher paying available jobs are all motivating businesses in the service industry to accelerate automation.

A Purposeful Future is Not Inevitable
Thinkers360
May 07, 2021

The future is not unexpected. Yesterday’s future arrived today. It’s an inevitable pattern. I have been reading a lot about inevitability lately. Last week I listened to Bill Gates and Rashida Jones on the Ask Big Questions podcast. In this podcast Bill Gates shared that we have already damaged the earth and the negative consequences are inevitable.

In my work over the past few months, I have written a series of articles under the title of The Future of Information, Truth and Influence. Many of the articles address the negative and unanticipated consequences of social media on our society. Many authors of the research I have been studying seem to have a fatalistic view. We have let the genie out of the bottle and there is no going back. It’s evitable.

And again today, I came across an article about automation, artificial intelligence and the jobs of the future. The author predicted that our economic system would drive us to compete on automation, and that we will automate away many of the jobs that employ us today. It’s inevitable. The answer according to the author is to tax the use of automation and robots, and then share the proceeds with us humans via monthly payments. I wouldn’t mind having automated robots generating a paycheck for me each month. Bring it on!

The weaponization of robots for the military is also a big societal issue today. Although many experts have been warning humanity not to create killer robots that can be unleashed against humans, many military strategists have already given up the fight and believe it’s inevitable.

The pandemic, I believe, has also invited us to feel fatalistic. Our dependence on globalization, international travel and interconnectedness guarantee we will experience these horrific global pandemics repeatably. It’s inevitable.

Some believe social issues like inequality, injustice, racism, income inequality, wealth gaps, etc., are also inevitable. But I believe it’s possible to have a more purposeful vision to believe in and embrace. We need positive social constructs that enable us to believe that the world can be a better place. If you are not familiar with the term social construct, I am using the definition – a collective belief placed on an object or event by a society. Often, members don’t even realize a social construct exists. They have just always accepted it to be true. For example, growing up in my family’s religious tradition, members believed woman could not be preachers. Today, however, many gifted and inspired woman are preachers. The belief that a woman couldn’t preach was not a reality, it was simply a social construct without merit, validity or value.

Social constructs need to be identified, analyzed, understood and re-evaluated constantly for merit and purpose. Does a particular social construct offer value for us now and/or in the future.

One social construct most of us embrace is the notion of the “rule of law.” We want to be governed by the “rule of law” not by the whims of some power-hungry despot. If we want to change things in a democracy, then we the people change the laws that govern us. This is not a social construct that every culture and society has adopted. Scribbling the words “rule of law” on a piece of paper does not in and of itself provide us value, but the collective belief that following the “rule of law” helps support a more perfect union offers enormous value for us.

Here are some additional and very powerful social constructs that our society has found useful to believe in - human rights, morality, democracy, capitalism, the value of a constitution, liberty, importance and value of an educated population, the notion of property and property rights, the notion of territories and borders, science and the scientific method, medicine and public health, logic, etc.

None of the social and mental constructs listed above are visible. The elk grazing in the meadow above me can’t see a social construct. They are collective beliefs, notions, concepts that add value and order to us humans. They are not inevitable. We have to purposely develop them in order to form a more perfect union.

With the right social constructs, we can stop social media from manipulating the minds of the vulnerable. AI powered robots don’t have to be weaponized. Injustices don’t have to be acceptable. Truth can be honored, the rule of law respected, science can heal, conspiracy theories rejected, and education can improve us. We are responsible for our own social constructs. We need to purposefully create and embrace social constructs that help us form a more perfect union and the future we want tomorrow.

Truth, Science and Reasoning in a Pandemic Age
Thinkers360
May 08, 2020

I have the good fortune to meet with and interview many distinguished business and technology leaders in the normal course of my work. One of the most common subjects of discussion in 2019 was the increasing importance of data and data analytics. Everyone needs data and an understanding of what it means to operate today. Data is captured and analyzed to determine facts, and the facts are weighed and measured to derive the truth. Without data, facts can’t be supported, truth can’t be determined and effective reasoning cannot be applied. Leonardo Da Vinci was the first to see clearly that knowledge of science would have to come from repeated experiments done, not unproven ideas. He was also the first scientist that correlated mathematics and science. Most people recognize the role of truth in reasoning. Reasoning without truth is like programming without logic. It doesn’t work. Computers run on logic as does nearly the entire world as a result of digital transformation. Truth and logic allow others to replicate your processes by following the logic, testing it, and debugging any issues. That is why it is so critical, in an advanced digital society, to respect and honor the value and utility of truth and logic. Without truth scientific breakthroughs and processes can’t be delivered, digital systems and economies can’t operate, and governments cannot sustain the trust and cooperation of their citizens. If a person rejects data, denigrate facts and devalues truths, then their ability to use logic and reasoning to make good decisions is severely limited. In the absence of reasoning, superstitions, bias, false narratives and prejudices find room to grow. Galileo was one of the first modern thinkers to clearly state that the laws of nature are mathematical. When I ask business leaders to identify emerging technologies they feel will have the biggest impact on their business in the near future they most often list technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT, automation, robotics, personalization, etc. All of these emerging technologies and their potential value to society are fully dependent on data, data analytics, determining facts and the revealed truth, and then using it within logic systems to build cool things like autonomous self-driving cars! Given the absolute centrality of data, facts, truth and logic to our current and future quality of life and common good, it would seem we could all agree on their value and utility, but

Pre-Pandemic Assumptions and Presumptions in Decision-Making
Thinkers360
April 07, 2020

Over the last 3 years my wife and I have become avid backpackers with many adventures under our belt. One of the biggest surprises I learned during my time in the wilderness was how often I make wrong assumptions. It was mid-July and the lake we were backpacking to was still frozen over and the trail was covered in deep snow. I had assumed warm mid-July weather would have cleared the trails. Another time after fishing in a high mountain lake, I looked at the map and saw the trail passed directly above our location. After over an hour looking for the trail we realized it didn't exist. My assumptions that maps are updated regularly and accurately reflect the reality on the ground were wrong. I can't tell you how many times I have learned that the obvious shortcut doesn't save you time. We all make assumptions. We assume something is true or certain to happen, without proof. We also make presumptions. We presume ideas are true, and then use them as the basis for other ideas until we have built ourselves a house of cards that is one fact away from collapsing. As we ponder our changed mid-pandemic world from our home offices with our dogs and kids under our desk, it is a good time to reflect on the assumptions and presumptions that got us into this predicament. I think we presumed the biggest dangers in flying were potential terrorist attacks or equipment failure. I think we assumed our doctors had the answers to whatever illness we picked up. I think we presumed that since all companies seemed to be developing long and lean supply chains that they must be resilient, redundant and reliable. I think we presumed that an illness in China was a Chinese problem. I think we assumed that the local hospital could just order and quickly receive any supplies or equipment they needed. I think we assumed that our economy would always be there in the morning. I think we assumed toilet paper would always be available. I think we assumed our leaders had a plan. As our anxiety evolves into acceptance of our mid-pandemic situation, perhaps it is a good time to re-evaluate the assumptions and presumptions we all have about the world around us. What I have learned in this past month is we have far less control over our world and destiny than might have been presumed.

Flattening the Curve of a Risky Future
Thinkers360
April 06, 2020

Today, in the midst of round one of the COVID-19 pandemic, I received an email from Delta Airlines sharing their efforts to make travel safe and normal. What will normal be post-pandemic? Will society be comfortable going right back to flying all over the world again? The thought of spending time in crowded airports, attending conferences with tens of thousands of people in one room, sitting in tightly packed business meetings and sitting elbow to elbow with coughing strangers on planes fills me with anxiety. I don't think I am the same person that I once was. I suspect most of us aren't. As the pandemic and resulting economic anxieties extend further into the calendar and deeper into our mutual psyches, our habits will be altered - some temporarily, others permanent. Just as our grandparents (and great-grandparents) before them developed a propensity to save and to be financially conservative as a result of experiencing the Great Depression during their formative years, we also will be known for the changes about to take place in us. This pandemic will alter the curve of our future. We have now all borne witness to the results of our societal decisions or lack thereof, and experienced the consequences. I am reminded of a popular Greek myth of Daedalus and his son Icarus. They were imprisoned in a tower by the King of Crete. Being a great craftsman, Daedalus devised two pairs of wings using wooden frames, wax and feathers to escape and fly away. Daedalus warned his son Icarus that flying too near the sun would cause the wax to melt and the wings would fail. Icarus jumped from the tower, escaped and his wings allowed him to soar high over the ocean. It was not long, however, before Icarus forgot all about his father's warnings. Soon he was flying higher and higher. The warm sun quickly melted the wax, the feathers came loose and Icarus plunged to his death in the sea. I think today we may have flown too close to the sun. In 2015, Bill Gates, gave a Ted Talk titled "The Next Outbreak? We're Not Ready." It accurately described what would happen if a pandemic similar to COVID-19 occurred. He precisely warned of the impact and what the world needed to do to prepare for it. Bill Gates was our Daedalus, and like Icarus we were captivated by the joys and excitement of flying high and far. The question for us all now is - what next? What will we do differently? How will our future be reshaped?