Be Future-Proof: How to Survive the New Modern Age
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The world is changing faster than ever before. We are all literally at the edge of the precipice, not realizing what lies ahead. It looks like business as usual but it is likely the calm before the storm. Many people still remember life before the internet, however, what is coming within the next 10 years will make those memories rapidly retire to a chapter in the history books. It is both exciting and unnerving to realize that our world will be closer to science fiction than we previously thought possible. Our collective future holds existential threats to our health, safety, sense of well-being, and way of life that many of us are incapable of truly imagining, much less preparing for. Even those actively involved in creating the machines of the future cannot be sure exactly how it will play out. So how does one cope with unknown opponents, when the previous rules of the game of life no longer apply? Many have discussed the concept of “future-proofing” their businesses - the process of anticipating the future and developing methods of minimizing the effects of shocks and stresses of future events - as per Wikipedia. In fact, we need to future-proof ourselves. Whether you possess skills which have taken a lifetime to learn, or are fresh out of Stanford University, neither position may be sufficient for you to fare well in the new modern age. Do you have what it takes to survive the new realm which is knocking on your door? Take heed to this tongue-in-cheek, just kidding (but not really) philosophical approach to surviving the future. It's just one opinion but perhaps it will save your life one day...or perhaps you may help save the world.
It's not about you anymore (it never was)
The first part of being future proof is realizing that it is not up to you. Despite how important we all think we are, neither of us alone, can change the trajectory of the world, or save ourselves. As conscious beings on Earth, we each have to suffer the consequences of each other. This has always been true, but it becomes more obvious as technology and time brings us closer together. We will travel the world faster than ever before and the land and waters that separates us will no longer be an obstacle. Our technology will bridge the gap for better or worse. The basis of this realization is that it doesn't matter at all whether you're artistic or analytical, beautiful or homely, athletic or disabled, wealthy or struggling, royal or common, foreign or native, brown-skinned, light-skinned, multilingual, or... you get the point. We all made this proverbial bed - that is the future - and we must lie in it together. The effects of our collective actions as humanity on the global scale or even in our own backyards, are what will define the future. The not-so-far-fetched threats of global climate change disasters, or global over-pollution, eco-system destabilization, self-replicating, life-destroying weaponized AI, or an asteroid on a crash course with Earth, don't really respect any of those differences between us. Since the dawn of mankind, humans have been perpetually, often brutally and disgracefully fighting each other over a few ripe fruits instead of using our intelligence and seeds to plant more trees and permanently solve the problems of resources. Our new collective goal is to think in terms of global solutions instead of shoring ourselves up at someone else's, or at the environments expense. We must think in terms of sustainability. We must learn a new language, connect with people as far from our background as possible and then acknowledge how much we all have in common. After all, if we're not careful, the ability to recognize another human being may be a commodity in the future. Imagine if the game of life is just the ultimate RPG, where each player has a small special power and only after assembling them all does the group get to advance to the next level. The "othering" or " us versus them" mentality doesn't cut it to solve the problems of the future. We need to take a "Humanity First" approach to life and business. We can't afford to devalue someone’s contribution, regardless of their net worth, or where they were born. If the coming future brings the boss fight; and we don't do it right with all-minds-on-deck, no one survives.
Stay woke and speak up
This slang is apt to describe your necessary state of awareness to thrive in the future. Think of Neo and crew in the Matrix taking the red pill. You will kick yourself if one day you wake up and your mayoral candidate has been out-voted by thousands of sophisticated A.I.'s created by a business competitor, and your police force replaced by an army of robots, and your grocery stores replaced with machine parts factories. Does this seem too far-fetched? Does it still seem far-fetched knowing that two nations (Saudi Arabia and Japan) have already granted bona-fide citizen or residence rights to artificial intelligences, and one city (Dubai) is planning to replace 30% of its police force with Robo-cops (one of which has already started with a light duty assignment)? There will never stop being wonderful toys to indulge in, but some of us have to know when to turn the fun-meter down. Others of us have to endeavor to step out of our daily rat-race, and preoccupations long enough to pay attention to what science and tech are growing and for what purpose. We should all determine if the emerging products and platforms represent a pathway to a future which we are comfortable with.
Nerdy is the new black
Nerds rejoice your time has finally come. It will be more than just cool to be technically smart, it will be crucial. In addition to having a skill or talent, humans of the future must be fairly well versed in science, computer science, and business, and able to critically discern value amongst the crowded landscape of available technology. If government regulations lag behind development, there will be any number of new technologies hitting the market before full vetting. You may have to compete with, work alongside or revel in the benefits of a plethora of new technologies. Ignorance is no longer a viable option. You will have to determine which of these entities to invite into your work, life, home and personal space. Get familiar with the lingo, understand and get cozy with the blockchain, Raspberry Pi and the Internet of Things, because we will place our trust and very lives under their control. You must be aware of the power, limitations, and risks of the myriad of machines, software programs and artificial intelligences which you will be exposed to, and you must take deliberate action to ensure cybersecurity and sustainability. While you are at it, however, dust off your critical thinking and reasoning skills and your abilities to collaborate effectively, so you have the tools to distinguish the real from the counterfeit. It won't all be about what you know, but also how you learn to combine forces, adapt and apply your skills in an interdisciplinary world.
Don't throw away your landline
As society moves towards greater levels of digitization, we remain more and more vulnerable to certain types of attacks. When the computer system goes down, there has to be a plan B, and life must go on outside of cyber space. All of the ways in which you prepared for the zombie apocalypse should be kept in the back of the mind or the closet because it may be needed someday. Can you open a can of tuna without any tools? Do you know how to plug in a landline and turn on and off your own lights? Are you able to build a fire in the wilderness? Do you remember how to make a cash transaction? Don’t trade in all your money and assets for cryptocurrency, or throw away all your diplomas for the blockchain and then find yourself paralyzed by a massive hack. Remember how to still live without the computer, and practice doing it as often as possible.
Diversify everything
Just like your investment portfolio, the foundations of your life should not rest in one technology, company, or software product. You should have backups and even old-school analog proof of your identity and assets. Have a backup generator for your home, in case the source grid is not available for you through natural weather events, or advanced cyberattacks, or corporate distributor disagreements. Have multiple sources of income, online and in the real world, and support a universal basic income for everyone to protect you against unemployment. Ensure that your earning potential is not tied to one particular endeavor which can be threatened or replaced by automation. Be open-minded in your concept of yourself and others, and what making a living means to you, especially if your skills are not as valuable as you once thought they would be. If you suddenly find yourself with more free time because of the efficiency of technology, be willing to re-invent yourself, start a new career, embrace some new hobbies and spend more time with people you love.
Be kind and remember your values
Finally, the simplest advice that we learned as kids, or perhaps teach our own kids, we should remember to follow ourselves as adults, navigating in this rapidly changing world. Be kind to others, respect living beings and remember to preserve what is true and important over things which are false or empty. Don’t be distracted by big numbers, appearances and material things. We cannot turn a blind eye to the problems that affect the least fortunate of us around the world, because it will come back around to affect us anyway. The greatest value in life comes from our humanity and if we disillusion ourselves to think otherwise, we pay the price in a dystopian future. Human beings are inherently equal in value, and at our essence need the same basic things in order to survive and be well. We should ensure all technology recognizes and respects these basic needs. Technology will be at the forefront of shaping the world, and it will make all manner of unimaginable scenarios possible. Even as artificial intelligence surpasses us in analytical power, it will still learn from us what is acceptable in how we treat each other, and what we value most. We must regulate and monitor our technology to protect ourselves and all we hold dear. As individuals and corporations, we must seek to deliver true value in all of our products, systems and services to ensure that they continue to bring true value into our lives, serving humanity in greater measure. Although many more scenarios will become possible in the future, not every technological avenue should be pursued. We have to know how and when to show restraint in our scientific and technological endeavors. When we evaluate everything, from robots’ rights, to genetic engineering of human embryos, to whether to change our economic currency, we need to think of humanity and living beings first in order to ensure we make the correct decisions. Let's strive for true forward progress and not just spectacular motion.
With technological advances, now more than ever, we have the potential to enjoy a future of peace, prosperity, progress and purpose but first we must prepare ourselves to establish it. Be future-proof. Thank you for reading this blog post. Are you ready for the future? Feel free to check out our other blog posts and leave a comment on the web page.