Kevin Benedict

Foresight & Flourishing: With Futurist Elina Kiiski Kataja
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April 01, 2026

What makes a society truly flourish—and can happiness actually be designed? In this fascinating episode of FOBtv, I sit down with Elina Kiiski Kataja of the Finnish Innovation Fund, Sitra, to explore the deeper architecture behind Finland’s remarkable success as the world’s happiest nation for

The Flourishing Together Framework, #38
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March 31, 2026

Click to EnlargeAcross history, geography, and culture, humanity has returned again and again to a small set of enduring truths about what allows people and societies to thrive. These truths appear in different languages and symbols, yet they point in the same direction. They speak of compassion tow

Forty Years in Happy Land with Author Tim Bird
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March 31, 2026

In this episode of FOBtv, I sit down with writer, photographer, and long-time Finland resident Timothy Bird to explore one of the most intriguing questions of our time: why does Finland consistently rank among the happiest countries in the world? Drawing on more than four decades

AI and the Future of Trustworthy Leadership, #37
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March 27, 2026

Click to EnlargeWe are entering a new phase of history—one where decisions inside organizations, governments, and economies are increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Prices adjust automatically. Supply chains reroute in real time. Algorithms detect fraud, approve loans, recommend pr

Leadership for the Coming Era - Polyintelligent Operating Platforms
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March 25, 2026

Click to EnlargeMost organizations today don’t suffer from a lack intelligence, rather they struggle with a failure to redesign leadership and leadership processes for a faster world – one operating at machine speed.Machines now observe more than we possibly can. They calculate faster than we ca

Leadership for the Coming Era - Polyintelligent Operating Platforms, #36
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March 25, 2026

Click to EnlargeMost organizations today don’t suffer from a lack intelligence, rather they struggle with a failure to redesign leadership and leadership processes for a faster world – one operating at machine speed.Machines now observe more than we possibly can. They calculate faster than we ca

Finland and the Future of Human-Centered Societies, #35
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March 20, 2026

In an age of accelerating innovation, artificial intelligence, and global uncertainty, many people feel a tension growing beneath the surface of modern life. Systems are moving, growing, and expanding faster. Decisions are becoming more complex. Work is increasingly digital and always connected. Yet

Leading Humanity Through the Age of Acceleration, #34
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March 16, 2026

We are entering a period in history where the speed of change is increasing faster than most human systems were designed to handle. Artificial intelligence, automation, digital networks, biotechnology, and global interdependence are reshaping how societies function, how economies operate, and how de

The Future of Civilization: Polyintelligence, Time, and Human Viability, #33
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March 06, 2026

Click to EnlargeHuman history moves through long periods of stability punctuated by rare moments of profound transformation. Agriculture reshaped how humans lived and organized society. The Renaissance and Scientific Revolution reshaped how humans understood the world. The Industrial Age reshaped ho

Why the World’s Happiest Nation is Always Ready for the End
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March 04, 2026

"Happiness does not derive from social status or wealth. Nor does it come from social media. It comes from a feeling that our lives have meaning" ~Alexander Stubbs, President of FinlandWe Americans, tend to imagine the "prepper" as a solitary, alcohol-fueled figure in a basement, surrounded by canne

The Scientific Revolution's Impact on Leadership, #32
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March 04, 2026

During the Scientific Revolution, a significant shift occurred in how people approached knowledge and understanding. Instead of relying on stories and arguments, observation and experimentation became the new standards. Mathematics emerged as a vital tool, and nature was viewed as something to explo

The Evolution of Knowing, #31
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March 02, 2026

Click to EnlargeHuman history is often told as a story of accumulation. We know more than our ancestors. We see farther, measure more precisely, and explain more of the world than any generation before us. This story is comforting because it implies inevitability: that progress is additive, leadersh

Designing Leadership for the Age of Intelligence, #30
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February 27, 2026

We are living through a strange contradiction.Our organizations have never been more intelligent. We have real-time dashboards, predictive analytics, AI copilots, digital twins, automated supply chains, and decision engines that can simulate millions of scenarios in seconds. Across business, governm

Rome: The Proof of Concept for the Modern World
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February 24, 2026

Click to EnlargeIn a few days, I will be off to visit Rome, Italy.  As a futurist, I am fascinated by the incredible contributions Rome made to modern civilization.  When you walk through Rome, you are not just walking through crowds of tourists and ancient ruins. You are walking thro

The Advanced Technology In Trees, #29
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February 23, 2026

Polyintelligence is the integration of human intelligence, machine intelligence, and nature’s intelligence into a coherent operating architecture. Trees represent the intelligence nature brings to polyintelligent leadership."Plants integrate information from more than twenty distinct ‘senses,’

Human Viability Inside Future Enterprises, #28
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February 18, 2026

Click to EnlargeThe real leadership problem is not technology, its whether humans can still function inside the systems we're building.  Most executive teams believe their biggest challenge is digital transformation. It isn’t.The deeper issue is this: your systems now move faster than yo

The Burden of Verification, #27
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February 16, 2026

Click to EnlargeVerification is the act of checking whether something is true, accurate, reliable, or justified. In plain terms, it is the discipline of asking: How do we know? What evidence supports this claim? What method was used? What assumptions sit underneath it? Verification is one of th

Nonobvious Future Developments with Bestselling Author Rohit Bhargava
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February 13, 2026

What happens when a TCS futurist sits down with one of the world’s sharpest trend curators to dissect the next decade of manufacturing? In this episode of FOBtv, I am joined by Rohit Bhargava—entrepreneur, bestselling author, and Adjunct Professor. Together, we explore how generative AI is actua

Enhancing Humanity in an Accelerating World, #26
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February 13, 2026

On one side of the scale stands a civilization built from silicon, chips, wires and steel—data centers the size of cities, humming without sleep, without pause, without doubt. Processors fire billions of calculations per second. Algorithms ingest oceans of information—financial flows, biometric

Interconnected Worlds with Boomi Expert Matt McLarty
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February 10, 2026

In this episode of FOBtv, we pull back the curtain on the hidden engine of modern automotive innovation: data. Joined by Boomi CTO and API visionary Matt McLarty, we explore how information logistics, AI, automation, and digital twins are quietly rewriting the rules of vehicle design, manufacturing,

When Speed Breaks Humans
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February 06, 2026

A reading.




*I use AI in all my work.************************************************************************

Kevin Benedict
Futurist, and Lecturer at TCS
View my profile on LinkedIn

Follow me on X @krbenedict
Join the Linkedin Group Digital Intelligence



***Full Disclosure: These are my p

Human Capacity Preservation Will Decide Our Future, #25
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February 04, 2026

Click to EnlargeWe talk constantly about technology, artificial intelligence, automation, and speed. We argue about tools, ethics, productivity, and disruption. But beneath all of those debates sits a far more consequential issue:Can humans remain viable inside the systems we are building?This quest

Finland and the Sixth Great Transition, #24
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February 03, 2026

The Sixth Great Transition is not mainly about new technology. It is about new operating conditions.Artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and digital platforms now act faster than humans can observe, understand, or intervene. These systems operate continuously, scale globally, and produce e

Leadership and Human Viability, #23
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February 02, 2026

The key constraint of the Sixth Great Transition is human viability—the ability of people to remain coherent, responsible, and meaningfully engaged inside systems that operate faster than humans.  As we all recognize, humans cannot compete against the power and speed of digital platforms

The Future of Automobile Manufacturing with Siemens Expert Kristian Kozole
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February 02, 2026

In this episode of FOBtv — We take a deep dive into how automobile manufacturing is being fundamentally rewritten.  Our guest is Kristian Kozole, Vice President of Automotive at Siemens Digital Industries Software.  Kristian will help us understand what has actually changed over the past

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.

Foresight and Flourishing with Elina Kiiski Kataja | Ep.159
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April 01, 2026

Forty Years Living and Exploring in Happy Land with Tim Bird | Ep. 158
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March 26, 2026

Future Operating Environments for Humans by Kevin Benedict | Ep. 157
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March 18, 2026

Future Operating Environments for Humans by Kevin Benedict | Ep. 150
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March 18, 2026

No One Decision
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March 10, 2026

The Grid Doesn’t Sleep
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March 10, 2026

Can Sauna Culture Save Humanity with Linda Helisto
Youtube
February 25, 2026

What if the secret to thriving in an age of AI, automation, and nonstop acceleration isn’t another productivity app—but a room filled with heat, humility, and silence? In this thought-provoking episode of FOBtv, Kevin Benedict sits down with sauna culture expert Linda Helisto to explore why Finland—home of the sauna and consistently ranked among the world’s happiest nations—treats human recovery as essential infrastructure, not indulgence.

Can Sauna Culture Save Humanity with Linda Helisto | Ep. 151
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February 25, 2026

Can Sauna Culture Save Humanity with Linda Helisto | Ep. 154
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February 25, 2026

Before the Meeting | Reimagining The Future with Frank Diana
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February 24, 2026

Nonobvious Future Developments with Bestselling Author Rohit Bhargava | Ep. 153
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February 12, 2026

Nonobvious Future Developments with Bestselling Author Rohit Bhargava | Ep. 150
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February 12, 2026

The Sixth Great Transition: When Speed Breaks Humans by Kevin Benedict | Ep. 150
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February 06, 2026

The Sixth Great Transition: When Speed Breaks Humans by Kevin Benedict | Ep. 152
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February 06, 2026

The Future of Automotive Manufacturing with Expert Kristian Kozole | Ep. 149
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February 05, 2026

TCS Possibility Chains | Reimagining the Future
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February 04, 2026

Interconnected Worlds & Automobile Manufacturing with Boomi Expert Matt McLarty | Ep. 148
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February 03, 2026

The Future of Shared Services with Expert Ajay Wadhwa | Ep. 147
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January 22, 2026

The Latest in Automobile Manufacturing with TCS Expert Naresh Mehta | Ep. 146
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January 16, 2026

The Future of Automobile Manufacturing with Expert Michael Diettrick | Ep. 145
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January 14, 2026

Beyond Automation: How Intelligence Is Rebuilding the Automotive Industry | Ep. 144
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January 09, 2026

The Factory of 2035: AI, Robots, Digital Twins & Data Are Rewriting Auto Manufacturing | Ep. 143
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January 07, 2026

The Nordic North with Futurist Hanna Lakkala
Blog Spot
December 29, 2025

What happens when the most remote region on Earth becomes one of the most strategically important? In this compelling episode of FOBtv futurist and host Kevin Benedict sits down with Nordic North Futurist Hanna Lakkala to explore the rapidly changing reality of the arctic region. From vanishing seasonal rhythms in Lapland to the surge in Arctic tourism, from Finland’s deep sauna culture to the geopolitics of fighter jets, rare earth minerals, icebreakers, NATO expansion, and Greenland’s sudden strategic spotlight, this conversation reveals how climate change, great-power competition, and human resilience are colliding at the top of the world.

The Nordic North with Futurist Hanna Lakkala | Ep. 142
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December 24, 2025

How Finland is Helping Youth Use Foresight with Expert Aino Piispanen | Ep. 141
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December 17, 2025

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?