- Now more than ever, it's the intersection of
several new technologies, which is enabling a whole new
set of capabilities.
Each alone is important, but together,
their convergence is what is essential
for ground-breaking solutions to emerge.
It's a lens to understand the future,
and the possible impacts, of a fourth industrial revolution
to you, and your organization.
Let's explore this idea with some examples.
If you've ever used a mapping app on your smartphone,
which I suspect many of you have,
you already know how valuable it can be.
There are many available,
and they help you find optimal directions,
use crowd-sourcing to understand traffic conditions,
and provide substantive information
on a wide variety of useful factors,
before and during a trip.
But what does it take to have a successful mapping app,
to make this a service with real value,
for millions of users?
The basics must include a pervasive wireless infrastructure,
a network of satellites, the internet,
low-cost storage and processing technology,
to fit on a mobile phone
a mature mobile phone operating system,
software development kits for mobile applications,
and expert mobile phone developers.
It becomes clear very quickly,
that without any of these items,
it's not possible to have a successful mapping app.
Each of these areas represents
an incredible human achievement.
Take for instance, our satellite based navigation system.
Call it global positioning system, or GPS.
This is a network of at least 24 satellites,
that enables GPS to work in any weather conditions,
anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day,
and without any cost to users.
It's the product of a U.S. department of defense project.
It's now enabling an extraordinary
amount of innovation, for everyone to use.
For the second example, lets look at
on demand transportation.
Here, we're talking about using a smartphone,
to schedule a car pickup.
What does it take for this solution to emerge,
to gain millions of users quickly,
and to accumulate enormous market capitalization?
And why didn't this technology exist before 2009?
What happened to enable such a radical idea?
Much like a mapping app, we need the pre-requisites of GPS,
the internet, pervasive smartphone adoption
an apps economy, and wireless connectivity.
We also need efficient and seamless online payment systems,
and advanced software techniques,
that optimize connecting the customer with the provider.
Beyond technology, for on demand to work,
we need the customer provided to be comfortable
with some new norms, including,
a societal acceptance to step into a stranger's car,
knowing they don't belong to a
traditional taxi organization,
with all it's attendant checks and balances.
New disruptive business models rise
when the conditions are right.
As demonstrated, this must include the right convergence
of new software and hardware, cultural acceptance
capital availability,
knowledge that builds on knowledge,
and of course, a generous application
of good luck and timing.
Okay, so why go here?
It's this foundation that helps us to understand
why adding a set of additional capabilities,
doesn't just incrementally change the game,
but at the right dosage and convergence,
flips a business model on its head.
Additionally, we can now compound this
with the core characteristics
of the fourth industrial revolution.
Greater scope, more impact, and higher velocity.
And it becomes clear, that it's not business as usual.
What might be these catalyzing technologies?
While a comprehensive list and exploration of each
would be beyond the scope of this
short foundational video series,
there are a small handful that
I'll discuss in the next few videos.
Each are so potentially important,
that it's worth understanding them further.
We'll begin with artificial intelligence, or AI.
The computer systems are increasingly capable
of performing human tasks such as,
visual perception, speech recognition and decision-making.
We ought to look at how AI may lead to
super intelligence, computers that exceed
the cognitive performance of humans.
Then we'll explore the internet of things,
the connecting of billions of devices
to the internet, and to each other.
Next, we'll look at Blockchain technology,
the underlying database that enables cryptocurrencies,
and now has an independent life as an enabler
of some remarkable new innovation.
Finally, we'll explore the emergence of
autonomous vehicles, and what that might mean
to a whole range of industries and behavior.
There are many more important technologies
to discover on your own including
augmented, virtual and mixed realities.
These are remarkable new experiences
that supplement how we can view and interact with the world.
They'll be valuable in a range of activities
that span from education, to medicine,
to gaming and much more.
If you haven't yet had an opportunity
to experience these mixed realities,
find a way to do it.
I promise, you won't be disappointed.
And it may open your mind to a
whole range of new opportunities.