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Back to the Future: 10 Tips to Help You Reimagine the Future

When it comes to developing a future-forward mindset, the sky’s the limit—and AI (artificial intelligence) is here to make a major impact. Matthew Loughran—executive director of TEDxFolsom, accomplished senior executive, and social impact entrepreneur—and Ernie Bayless, COO at Wise Villa Winery, have a handful of innovative ideas and thoughts to get us thinking outside the box and prepared for what’s to come.

 

1//Reassess the way you learn

There’s no doubt that the world is changing rapidly, and new challenges and opportunities come with that change. As we look to the future, we must reassess how we learn to keep up with the times. With technology becoming increasingly advanced, there’s no reason we can’t use it to improve our learning. Utilize online resources, take advantage of educational apps, and use social media to connect with others who can.

 

2//Redesign the workplace

With advances in technology and how we communicate (i.e., the dawn of AI; see below), it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve and redesign the workplace to fit future needs. Here are themes that can shape the future of work:

  • Encourage flexible working arrangements.
  • Embrace remote working.
  • Create an open and collaborative environment.
  • Promote well-being and work-life balance.
  • Invest in cutting-edge technology.
  • Encourage creativity and innovation.
  • Support professional development.
  • Encourage diversity and inclusion.
  • Promote sustainability.
  • Focus on the customer experience.

By implementing these themes into your workplace, you can set your employees up for success and create a positive environment where everyone can thrive.

 

3//Reinvent the way you travel

The way we travel has a significant impact on the world around us. From the emissions our mode of transportation produces to the amount of waste we generate while on the go, our travel habits can have a significant environmental footprint.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to reduce your impact and make travel more sustainable. Here are some ideas:

  • Ditch the car in favor of public transit, biking, or walking whenever possible.
  • Offset your carbon emissions by investing in carbon credits or planting trees.
  • Travel during off-peak times to avoid congested roads and crowded airports.

 

4//Rethink your relationship with technology

How we interact with technology is constantly changing (i.e., the dawn of AI; see below), and it’s crucial to stay ahead of the curve. Here are ideas to help you make it better:

  • Rethink your relationship with technology: How you want to use it and what you want it to do for you.
  • Make sure technology is accessible to everyone, regardless of income or ability.
  • Use technology to connect with others in a more meaningful way.
  • Use technology to learn new things and expand your horizons.
  • Reuse, recycle, and repurpose technology: Instead of always buying new, why not see if you can repair, reuse, or recycle what you already have?

Reinventing the future doesn’t happen by itself; it takes an industry to reimagine and reimagine again. As companies, partners, and individuals, we need to challenge ourselves to develop.

 

5//Prioritize mental and physical health

Mental and physical health should be a top priority when reimagining the future. Taking care of your mind and body will help you feel and be your best. When you’re physically and mentally healthy, you can handle stress better, make better decisions, and be more productive. Here are some ideas

  • Get enough sleep. Sleep is essential for both physical and mental health. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body doesn’t have time to recover from the day, and your brain doesn’t have time to process information.
  • Eat healthy. Eating nutritious foods helps your mind and body function at their best. Choosing healthy foods means you’ll have more energy to exercise and think clearly.
  • Be active. Physical activity not only helps you lose weight and look and feel good, but it increases your brain power too.

 

6//Foster creativity and innovation

There are a lot of ways to foster creativity and innovation, but here are some ideas:

  • Encourage creativity and innovation in your workplace.
  • Make time for creativity and innovation.
  • Be open to new ideas.
  • Encourage collaboration.
  • Promote a culture of learning.
  • Encourage risk-taking.
  • Support failure.
  • Encourage experimentation.
  • Encourage reflection.
  • Encourage a growth mindset.

 

7//Encourage sustainability and efficiency

We need to ensure we’re caring for our planet and resources. This means incentivizing sustainability and efficiency. Whether it’s a company, a community or an individual, there are many ways to practice sustainability, but here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Promote recycling and reuse.
  • Support businesses and organizations that are committed to sustainability.
  • Implement a composting program.
  • Install recycling bins throughout your location.
  • Recycle electronics, batteries, and paint.
  • Buy recycled content materials and products.
  • Reduce packaging waste.
  • Implement a bag program to reduce plastic bag use.
  • Advocate for sustainable policies and practices.
  • Connect with nature and appreciate the world around you.

 

8//Embrace diversity and inclusion

There are many ways to help make the future better, but one important way is to embrace diversity and inclusion. This means recognizing and valuing the differences between people and creating opportunities for everyone to participate and contribute. With the world getting smaller and people from all corners of the globe connecting through technology, we can learn about other cultures and traditions. This can help us to be more empathetic and inclusive in the future. One trend that is set to continue is global diversity and inclusion. Reassess your mindset about other cultures and be open to learning more about different traditions, religions, and cultural practices.

  • Promote diversity and inclusion in your workplace, school, or community.
  • Advocate for policies and practices that support diversity and inclusion.
  • Educate yourself and others about the importance of diversity and inclusion.
  • Challenge discrimination and bigotry whenever you see it.
  • Stand up for the rights of marginalized groups.
  • Support businesses and organizations that promote diversity and inclusion.
  • Mentor someone from a different background

 

9//Champion social justice

There’s no denying that the world is facing some significant challenges, from climate change and environmental destruction to social injustice and inequality; it’s clear that we need to reimagine the future and make it better. One way we can do this is by championing social justice. This means fighting for the rights of all people, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or economic status. It means ending discrimination and creating a more just and equitable world.

  • Speak out against discrimination and bigotry in all forms.
  • Stand up for the rights of marginalized groups.
  • Be an ally to those who are marginalized.
  • Donate to charities and organizations working to end social injustice and inequalities.
  • Participate in initiatives and movements that are working to change the world for the better.
  • Raise awareness about issues that are important to you.
  • Challenge your biases and assumptions about other people and cultures.
  • Practice kindness and generosity towards others.
  • Collaborate globally—our future is interlinked. We live in a globalized world where events in one part of the world can significantly impact people living elsewhere. There is a lot of talk about global interconnectedness.

 

10//Start with yourself

You can feel like a drop in the ocean, but change starts with a small group of individuals willing to do what others are not. You can start by:

  • Advocate for change by speaking up and raising awareness about the issues that matter to you.
  • Be the change you want to see.
  • Connect with others and work together to create positive change.
  • Get involved in your community and make it a better place by making an impact locally.

 

Matthew Loughran is the executive director of TEDxFolsom, an accomplished senior executive and social impact entrepreneur in the emerging technology field. Matthew is the principal at FounderX.co, a startup growth agency, and Midtown West, a Web3 and innovation-focused media firm. In addition, he serves as executive advisor to social impact, fintech, and mobility startups, a blockchain smart contract audit and cyber security firm, and boards of non-profits. Matthew possesses a history of multilateral stakeholder alignment across public, private, and faith-based sectors leveraging technology for social impact. Matthew is a Humanity 2.0 Patron Council member, a member of the Forbes Impact Community, and a recipient of the Laudato Si Impact Award in coordination with The Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.


Artificial Intelligence

By Ernie Bayless, COO at Wise Villa Winery


The dawn of artificial intelligence (AI) has changed the way we think about the future of work. With the rise of AI, many are wondering if it will replace humans in the workforce causing mass unemployment. In the next two years, AI is expected to make a major impact in the fields of legal writing, tech writing, newsletter creation, advertising copy, customer service, and even with writing computer code.

Chatbot GPT-3 is one of the most advanced AI applications available today, and it is expected to revolutionize how people work. By using natural language processing, GPT-3 can generate text that sounds and feels like it was written by a human. This means legal documents, technology articles, and other written materials can be written quickly, accurately, and empathetically. The idea of completing a task quickly is no longer defined by the constrains of humanities definition of time. A simple AI algorithm can digest a complex question and produce a precise answer within 150 milliseconds. This is faster that the human eye blinks. Additionally, GPT-3 can be used for administrative tasks, such as scheduling, data entry, and customer service. The most perplexing issue arising out of AI is the mostly true notion that humans will soon be at a disadvantage when competing with machines. It is this simple, AI, or “machine learning” has a distinct advantage over the human mind. A machine learns 100x faster than humans, and it never forgets what it has learned. This results in the AI algorithm avoiding the persistent human pitfall of making the same mistakes repeatedly. Imagine teaching a child to read at college level in one week, or teaching quantum physics to someone in less time than it takes to drive across the country, with 100% retention of the material taught. This is the harsh new reality that many people will face within two years. This is a massive shift for humanity and will have a more profound impact than powered flight, the printing press, smartphones, or perhaps even the internet itself.

While the potential of AI is exciting, there are some downsides to consider. For example, if AI does replace humans in the workforce, what will people do for a living? There is no clear answer to this question yet, and for every plausible upside to AI, it looks as if there is a darker downside.

Looking at the future, the upside to AI seems to be a bit obfuscated because nobody can guarantee a better quality of life for those whose jobs are supplanted by an artificial mind. This could be a bitter pill for humanity, yet for now humankind does not appear to care much about the rapidly approaching outcome.

For the sake of demonstrating the current capabilities of AI, I asked an AI program to defend the future roll of AI in the workplace. Below is the answer generated by ChatGPT-3 AI after reading this article.

 

ChatGPT- 3 Generated response: Despite the potential downsides, AI is here to stay. As technology advances, AI will become increasingly useful in the workplace. In the next two years, it is likely that AI will make everyone’s life easier in the workforce. However, it is important to remember that humans still have a role to play in the future of work. While AI can do many things, it cannot replace the creativity, empathy, and problem-solving skills that humans possess.