Kevin Benedict

Higher Education: Pandemic Impact, Cybersecurity and Generative AI with Expert Mark Bramwel
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August 03, 2023

I am excited to share our latest FOBtv interview! We welcome back Mark Bramwell, CIO of the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.  We recap our 2020 pandemic discussion and then complete our post-pandemic debrief.  We discuss the changes in the threat space around cybersecurit

The Exciting Future in Complexity
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July 31, 2023

Remember a time in your life when you faced a challenge and had no idea how to solve it? A time when complexity seemed less like a captivating puzzle to solve and more like an impenetrable wall? We have all had such moments. I remember myself as a 12-year-old, hunched over an old Suzuki 90 motorcycl

The Role of Higher Education, Optimism, Purpose and Science in Shaping Our Future
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July 31, 2023

Last week, while researching the history of innovation, I stumbled across a reference to the role the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 and 1890 played in elevating the standard of living in America.  I was not familiar with it.  Seems the act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln

Fostering Innovation Through Optimism, Science and Public Sentiment
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July 26, 2023

As we navigate the intricacies of the 21st century, we must recognize the influential role public sentiment plays in shaping society's progress. By “progress,” I mean the combination of economic, technological, scientific, cultural, and organizational advancement that has transformed our lives a

A View from the Frontlines of Generative AI with Expert Deepak Seth
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July 24, 2023

Generative AI is one of the most important developments I have seen in my career in high tech.  I find it endlessly fascinating, powerful, astounding and terrifying all at the same time.  In this episode our guest is the brilliant Deepak Seth.  Deepak is an expert in financial service

Future-Oriented Mindsets: A Historical Reflection
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July 19, 2023

Innovation and progress are not random phenomena; rather, they are the result of purposeful optimism and a forward-thinking mindset.Historically, a good example of a future-focused perspective is the Renaissance, a transitional period between the Middle Ages and our contemporary times. During this e

The Telegraph: A Catalyst for an Improved Standard of Living
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July 18, 2023

The "Special Century" is a name given by historians to the period of time starting in 1870 and ending in 1970.  This century launched an astounding variety of innovations and inventions, plus supported a historic rise in the standard of living for much of the world.  Never before in histor

Insuring Against Cyber Threats with Expert Bob Parisi
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June 29, 2023

In this deep dive with Munich Re (Groups) cybersecurity expert Bob Parisi, we learn how the insurance and reinsurance industry develops policies to cover different cyber security threats.  We ask questions like:How have you seen the risk for cyber attacks change over the past 5-10 years?What ar

Digital Twins Film Project - Premier
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June 12, 2023

I had a great time participating in the filming and development of a 10 minute film on digital twins recently.  Last week was its premier at the TCS Innovation Forum.  Many thanks to the brilliant production via the communications and storyboard teams at Tata Consultancy Services - Ian Vol

Artificial Intelligence and Your Soul - An Interview with David Espindola
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June 12, 2023

Futurist David Espindola's new book has just been released, "Soulful: You in the Future of Artificial Intelligence." Alex Whittington and myself were fortunate to be able to interview him a couple of weeks back so we could share it with you today. David doesn't shy away from the challenging topics

The Rising Tide of Digital Realities and Their Influence: An In-depth Analysis
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April 27, 2023

Every year or so I want to remind readers of the importance of media literacy, and to caution that both overt and covert influence campaigns are being run continuously through traditional and new media platforms with the intent of altering our perceptions, opinions and ways of thinking.  Our br

GPT and the Consequences of Knowledge Friction
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April 26, 2023

ChatGPT has democratized knowledge in ways that few innovations outside of the Gutenberg printing press, the internet, and search engines have done.  It not only finds content, but answers our specific questions with formatted explanations and analysis, and remembers our conversations at a late

Navigating the Future: Essential Characteristics and Strategies for Leaders
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April 25, 2023

In an ever-changing world filled with uncertainty, business executives often grapple with the responsibility of anticipating and adapting to emerging trends and technologies. In this article we aim to provide guidance on how to focus on the most critical elements in the age of digital transformation

Knowledge Friction and GPT
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April 25, 2023

As a futurist, I am always reading with an eye on how the information I am consuming might have an impact on the future.  Last week, my colleague, Ashok Krish, the Global Head of Digital Workforce at TCS, wrote, "Generative AI tools have the potential to provide expert knowledge to employees wh

Speed Changes Everything
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April 11, 2023

As a futurist, I often find myself discussing how emerging technologies might impact jobs.  We talk about automation, artificial intelligence, robotics and other technologies that are all obvious candidates for human displacement.  We don't, however, think enough about the physics-related

GPT-4 for Executives
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April 03, 2023

I feel like a kid with a new bike.  GPT-4 is opening up so many new avenues for discoveries!  In fact, our Future of Business team here at TCS now has weekly trainings and discussions on how GPT-4 works, and how best to use it.  I am just beginning my learning journey, but already som

GPT-4 is Even Better Than You Think
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March 27, 2023

I recently read an article written by four professors from large universities.  The purpose of the article was to convince the reader that GPT-4, and other large language models are not significant or worth our interest.  Were we testing the same LLM system?  I am giddy with the poten

Our Future and Media Literacy
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February 28, 2023

In my work as a futurist, everything I seem to read lately reminds me of the need to become more "media literate". What is media literacy?  ChatGPT describes it as follows, "Media literacy refers to the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in various forms. It involves a

Mindsets, Skills and Human-AI Pairing
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February 16, 2023

Digital MindsetThis article was created in collaboration with ChatGPT, Dall-e, and myself.As organizations continue to undergo digital transformation, leaders must adapt to new challenges and opportunities. Here are some essential mindset attributes that leaders need today:Agility: In the rapidly ch

The Amazing Potential of a ChatGPT and Human Pairing
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February 14, 2023

I have been having all kinds of fun with OpenAI's Dall-e for art, and ChatGPT for answers, research, testing and jokes.  Let's talk about ChatGPT and jokes.  It is not very good at writing funny jokes.  It has an academic understanding of what jokes are, but it finds it difficult to d

How AI will Guide Future M&A Deals with Expert Adam Boostrom
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February 01, 2023

In this episode, author and TCS Strategic Foresight Consultant, Adam Boostrom, walks us through the role AI will soon play in finding M&A matches. We discuss the current process for finding quality M&A candidates and the challenges of making them successful.  We then explore how fast gr

Digital Twins and Instantaneous Decision-making
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January 25, 2023

The reality of information is entirely contained in the speed of its dissemination. ~ Paul VirilioEven the best data has a shelf life.  Its value diminishes quickly with the passing of time.  In a world of moving customers, employees, vehicles, subcontractors, materials, suppliers, etc., k

Doing Digital, An Interview with Author Ved Sen
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January 20, 2023

In this episode, we discuss the new book, “Doing Digital, The Guide to Digital for Non-Technical Leaders” with author and expert Ved Sen.  I have known Ved for many years and he is a powerful and compelling communicator and insightful advisor to leaders globally.  We take a deep dive i

The Best Future Focused Interviews of 2022
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December 30, 2022

2022 has been a great year for insightful guests and interviews.  I have enjoyed every guest we interviewed for FOBtv.  Some even took us deep into the future and left us hungry for more.  I hope you enjoy the following selections as much as I did.What Do You Believe about the Fu

The 45 Worst or Best Futurist Jokes of 2022
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December 29, 2022

To save you the time of reading through large numbers of good jokes about the future in order to find the bad ones, I have done it for you. However, after some more thought and depending on your sense of humor, the worst might also be the best.  Enjoy!I am working on a few jokes about the futur

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.

New interview with Expert Mark Bramwell #cio #saidbusinessschool #oxford #highereducation #ai
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August 03, 2023

Higher Education: Pandemic Impact, Cybersecurity and Generative AI with Expert Mark Bramwell | FOBtv
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August 02, 2023

Understanding Risk in Cyber Security with Expert Bob Parisi | FOBtv
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June 27, 2023

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

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

Digital Twins and Instantaneous Decision Making with Kevin Benedict | Reimagining the Future
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May 17, 2023

A Global Drop In Life Expectancy | Reimagining the Future
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March 01, 2023

The Future of Ecosystems | Reimagining the Future
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February 02, 2023

How AI will Guide Future M&A Deals with Adam Boostrom | FOBtv
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February 01, 2023

A Deep Dive into Digital Twin Strategies with Expert Rob Tiffany | FOBtv
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January 27, 2023

@GerdLeonhard discusses the future of #socialmedia and #ai with @KevinBenedict
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January 25, 2023

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

#Futurist Alex Whittington discusses #northstar with Kevin Benedict in this episode of #FOBtv
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January 19, 2023

Doing Digital, An Interview with Author Ved Sen | FOBtv
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January 19, 2023

On this episode of #FOBtv Etosha Thurman discusses the #pandemic impact on #procurement #supplychain
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January 18, 2023

2022 TCS NYC Marathon Interview | Reimagining the Future
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January 09, 2023

2020 Revisited with Cornell Tech’s Greg Morrisett | FOBtv
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December 15, 2022

What Do You Believe about the Future, with Futurist Gerd Leonhard | FOBtv
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December 14, 2022

Becoming a Supply Chain Futurist with Dr. Marcell Vollmer | FOBtv
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December 07, 2022

The Future of Income, Careers and Human Potential with Alex Whittington | FOBtv
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November 30, 2022

The Future of Climate Change Consulting with Bob Leonard | FOBtv
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November 29, 2022

The Future of Cybersecurity and Risk in Healthcare | FOBtv
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November 16, 2022

The Future of the Logistics' Last-Mile with Expert Guy Bloch | FOBtv | TCS
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November 10, 2022

The Importance of Social Media for C-Suite | Reimagining the Future | FOBtv
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October 31, 2022

The Future of Authentication and the Death of Passwords with Expert Tom Thimot | FOBtv | TCS
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October 28, 2022

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.

Breathing and talking are recognized as the biggest culprits to spreading COVID-19. High volume interaction points involving human’s mouths will quickly be replaced by safer digital interactions between real humans. Businesses will invest in enhancing digital interactions to make them warmer and more inviting.

The value of space and distance increases. Speed, digital communications and precision weapons have diminished the safety value of space and distance over time, but COVID-19 alters that trend as space and distance equates to safety.

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?