The Fast Future Blur

Chapter 8Conclusion: Living to Love the Fast Future Blurs

Efi Pylarinou

Conventional approaches typically centre on specific emerging technologies and environmental or socioeconomic trends. Artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, the metaverse, augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), quantum computing, are all technologies powering what the World Economic Forum (WEF) has termed as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Each one merits in-depth exploration of their individual technical advancements, their impact on our economic and social activities, and the policies and regulations that either enable or limit them.

In addition, significant trends driven by these technological advancements such as the future of work, platforms, finance, mobility and health also require individual in-depth analysis.

Recognizing that the future potential of each of these technologies and trends is significantly influenced by policies and regulations is also crucial for each one of these areas. At present, such policies and regulations are either non-existent or limited and lacking harmonization.

Despite these uncertainties, there is a growing recognition of the importance of the dynamic interconnections of these unstoppable and accelerating technological changes, and their increasingly complex impact on organizations, employees and customers, society and the environment. For instance, there is consensus that AI will impact the future of work and ...